Interlude
by Darling Violeta
Summary: The children of heroes travel through time and find the younger versions of their parents. Together, they face a great evil that can destroy present and future.
1. Present and Future

_**INTERLUDE**_

 _ **Chapter One – Present and future**_

 **This isn't probably the first JL story about time travel, and such ...**

 **Since I am a person addicted to Doctor Who, I like the idea of time not being linear, and being able to change the future, or the past. This is just one of many realities, and I have a long way to go.**

 **This story happens a few months after "Destroyer", and also about 20 years in the future, or something.**

 **Twenty years in the future ...**

Lily West slipped on her skates through the sidewalks of Metropolis. Lily was a 15-year-old girl with long red hair and blue eyes. She wore jeans and plaid shirts, and the school backpack was on her back. Her family lived in Central City, and the trip to Metropolis would be long if she were not Wally West's daughter, the Flash.

Stopping in front of a large mall, she watched the cars and motorbikes until someone put his hand on her shoulder. She jumped and turned, only to find a dark-haired, tall, muscular man in front of her. He was supposed to be 17, and he also carried a school backpack.

"Late." He said.

"I'm sorry, Jason." She replied. "The girls on the team took some time off."

"Okay, but now it's me who's going to take your time."

Jason grabbed her by the waist, and they shared a brief kiss before entering the mall. They went to the food court together, and, as usual, Lily had a mountain of food for herself.

"How was your day?"

"Dizzy until you show up."

"Oh, how sweet! That's why I adore you."

"I love you too, Li. Are you going to sleep in the metropolis?" He gestured.

She shook her head.

"No, my parents had a family dinner tonight. I think they want to tell us something, they've been strangers for the past few days."

"It's still good to see you, even for a few hours."

"You see me every day, Jason."

"And it's not enough ..."

They shared a brief kiss, and as soon as their lips met, the ground began to tremble.

"What is this?" Jason asked.

"It wasn't me, I swear."

"I know, Li."

Batman's voice came through the commic link.

"Jason, Lily. The computer registered an anomaly in the Metropolis area."

"We realize, Uncle Bruce."

"I'm sending help."

"We're going too."

As people ran desperately out of the building, Jason and Lily also went outside. Arriving there, they saw a gigantic robot destroying the city. In the blink of an eye, Lily changed her outfit for her heroine uniform, a feminine costume that resembled the Flash uniform but with a mask that only covered her eyes.

Jason also gave way to his alter ego, with a smaller version of his father's costume, Superman. Jason flew toward the robot, and Lily ran. At the same time, they saw their reinforcement arrive.

Warhawk, the boy with huge wings and armor. Batman in his dark knight costume. Amazona, in the war uniform of the Amazons. Green Lantern launched a lightning bolt at the robot, only to discover a shield over it. Finally came the greengirl, followed by a girl in a black suit and blue hair. Together, they were the new Justice League.

 **Metropolis, present day ...**

The anomaly was felt in every land. The monitors in the watchtower went crazy. The heroes were summoned and left for Metropolis. Once there, Superman and Shayera saw the huge robot, but that did not explain the cosmic anomaly detected by the control tower.

Still, they had to knock him down. Shayera lunged at him, striking him with her mace, but the robot caught her, hurling her against the wall. The world rolled and went dark, and she felt her body weighing down. She heard someone screaming "mother" before holding her arms.

"Are you right, mom?"

It was not long before realized that they were talking to her. She looked up, and the winged boy had a worried look. She nodded, even confused by the presence.

"Is it okay if I let you go?"

"Yes, yes."

He did so. The boy smiled at her, before flying back into action. Shayera followed, realizing that she and Superman were not alone in the battle.

Finally, the robot fell. She joined the group, and the young people celebrated the successful action. Their costumes were familiar at the same time they were strangers.

She and Superman watched the group suspiciously until J'onn's voice came through the commic link.

"Are you okay?"

"I think it's best to start teleportation. We're having company."

"How many more?"

Superman has given a new look to young people. He let out a heavy sigh.

"Eight. We have eight super powerful youngs with us."

 **That's it.**

 **Thanks!**


	2. Where are we?

_**Chapter Two – Where are we?**_

Shortly after, Superman and Shayera were taken back to the tower. The young eight felt the teleportation pull them then. The seven founding members of the league, and other heroes already gathered around the group, prepared for everything. The teenagers looked at each other in confusion.

"What reception is that? Did we do something wrong?"

"Who are you?" "Batman took over.

Amazona thought of taking a step forward, but the way her father stared at her was not good. Whatever it was, they were in trouble.

"It seems as though our parents don't recognize us." Lily said.

"I don't know, Kiwi. Uncle Bruce wouldn't joke about anything serious." Warhawk said, standing in front of Lily and Martha in a protective gesture.

A whisper ran through the heroes. Batman wondered the boy called him by his real name, even more so with familiarity to the point of treating him as uncle.

"The little boy of wings saved me." It was Shayera's turn to raise her voice. "Although I don't know why he called me mother ..."

"Serious?" It was Lily, still hiding behind Warhawk.

"Kiwi, this sounds serious to me."

"Oh, that sounds strange, but my computer detected a strange temporal vibration." The blue-haired girl, who was fiddling with a small computer in her suit, said. "Can anyone tell me what day it is?"

"January." One of them spoke.

"But what year?"

"2018." Batman said sternly.

A bundle of blue hair turned to her friends.

"Guys, I think we travel in time. These are our family, only about 20 years in the past."

"This is surreal."

"The monitors detected a temporal anomaly minutes ago, maybe you are the source of the problem." J'onn said.

The teenagers turned to Lily.

"What? It was not me! Why do I have to be to blame?"

"Maybe because your father has a history of changing the timeline." Amazone punched Lily's arm lightly.

"This is Uncle Barry." She crossed her arms and pout.

Batman coughed to bring the teenagers back into focus.

"You, of course, even know our secret identities. I think we are at a disadvantage, considering that we still don't know who you are."

"Sorry, I know this is confusing for you. It's also confusing for us. I'm Warhawk." Then, he removed his helmet. His hair was red, a little long, and his eyes were blue. His features resembled another leaguer, who was not Shayera. "John West."

The league heroes looked at each other silently. Someone was about to speak, but Lily did not have time, as she took off her mask.

"And I'm Lily West, the Flash."

One by one, the other teenagers introduced themselves.

"Jason Kent, Superboy. My parents are Clark Kent and Lois Lane."

The dark boy took off his mask.

"Rex Stewart, I am the son of John Stewart and Mari. The current Green Lantern of sector 2814."

The green-skinned girl smiled, bowing slightly.

"I am the Mars Huntress, and my father is J'onn J'onz, but you can call me Kira."

The young man in a bat costume took off his mask. His costume was a modern version of Batman's fantasy.

"I'm Terry McGuins. The bat there decided to train me as a substitute, after all, Gotham needed a protector."

The girl in the Amazons' uniform shook her head.

"As if my father were to leave Gotham only in his unfit hands, Terry. I am Martha Wayne, my father is Bruce, and by the typical uniform, it is clear who my mother is."

She smiled and held out her hand to Batman, exchanging a friendly greeting with her father. The cold look he gave her ached a little, but she also knew that her mother made him change a lot over time. He was not the man she knew.

Finally, the blue-haired girl. She let out a heavy sigh. If they were really in the past, their father's relationship with the league was not one of the best. At least he was still alive.

"Honey, and before you judge me, I'm Lex Luthor's daughter."

Everyone stared at the girl. She was already expecting that reaction.

"Are you Luthor's daughter?" Superman asked the question that hung in everyone's head.

"I know you and my father had a lot of quarrels, Uncle Clark, but at the end of his life, you and Dad were friends. So much so that he left my guard with you."

The sincerity of the girl seemed to satisfy the man of steel, at least for now. But a doubt persisted in John Stewart's mind. He pointed at Lily and John, after all, the resemblance was striking.

"Are you relatives?"

"We're brothers, Uncle John." Lily nodded, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"What about your parents? Who?"

"We are the sons of the greatest redheads in the league: Wally West and Shayera Hol."

The surprise was visible in everyone, and the disappointment hung over John's face. Shayera squeezed her temple, as if her head was pounding less.

"I must have hit my head very hard. That's not possible."

J'onn decided to interfere.

"Since we cannot be sure they're telling the truth, we need to do some tests to confirm your identity. Those involved go to the medical bay. The others return to your tasks."

No one would dare disobey J'onn. The heroes, still confused, returned to their checkpoints. The teenagers and their parents followed the Martian to the medical bay. It would be a long day.

* * *

J'onn took a blood sample from Kira. The girl simply watched her father work, without saying a word. She was attentive to everything he did.

"You're very quiet, girl."

"Oh, oh, I was thinking. How is it possible that we have gone back in time? Can this interfere with our reality? How can we go back and related ..."

To her surprise, J'onn laughed.

"There are many philosophical questions for someone so young."

He got a new needle. With a simple glance, he asked for the girl's help. Promptly she did, gathering his blood. Finished, she handed him the needle. J'onn inserted the viscous liquid into a new tube. He took a pen and made notes, just as he did with the other samples.

"We have. The results won't be ready until tomorrow. So I think it's safer to keep you posted for the rest of the day. If you confirm your stories, and I believe you will, we will think about how to send you back in time."

Kira got up and hugged her father, smiling.

"You're the best!"

He returned the hug, though a little hard.

"Thank you."

* * *

Later they met with their children. It was agreed that the young people would spend the night in the tower, and the next day would think about how to solve the whole situation. Many did not like the idea because they wanted to explore the city, but were quickly cut off.

Even confused and baffled by this situation, their curiosity was undeniable.

Kira and J'onn were the ones who talked the most since the boys arrived. They were together at one of the many tables in the cafeteria, talking about philosophy and a little politics and history. The Martian girl was very intelligent, and knew a lot about the history of Mars. J'onn was visibly impressed and proud of the girl.

"Where did you learn so much?" He said curiously.

"You taught me a lot of what I know, but I also learned a lot from the books. And you could say I made one or two trips out there."

"You're a good girl, Kira. I would love to call her daughter someday."

* * *

On the other side of the cafeteria, Diana was with Terry and Martha. No matter how hard he tried, Batman did not want to join that family reunion. He was not in sight either.

"Sorry about Bruce." She felt the need to apologize. "He's kind of ..."

"Stupid?" Terry got Martha's punch. "But it's the truth."

"Cold?" Martha suggested. "I know my father has changed a lot in the last few years. And I can't blame him for treating me differently. He still doesn't know me."

"I don't know you either, and I'm here. None of us knows you and we're here."

"I think it's harder for some than for others ..." Martha sighed. "But that's okay. I get it."

"You're a very focused girl. How old are you?"

Martha smiled broadly.

"Seventeen. And Terry is 20, but I don't think he's very mature."

They both laughed at Terry's false expression of disgust. The conversation soon flowed. Diana discovered about Terry's life and how he became Batman's successor, taking on the mantle of Gotham protector.

Martha told about her three younger sisters, and how she spent six years on Paradise Island, learning her Amazon heritage. Her middle sisters followed the same path. And the youngest of the Wayne family could hardly wait to meet the island.

She did not reveal much about her life with the dark knight. She said enough to believe they were happy together. And, by Martha's own words, without Diana, perhaps Bruce could never be saved from his darkness. They were strong words, and Diana was willing to find out how true it would be.

* * *

Lily West kept talking. So much so that Shayera did not know if she would send the girl to silence, or simply leave the table. Her head seemed to explode with so much information. In five minutes, her future life was thrown into the pile of food that the female version of Flash ate.

At least John West kept quiet, just eating his own mountain of food and watching the reactions of the occupants of the table. There were four of them: the two brothers, Shayera and Flash.

"That's enough, Kiwi." John finally said. "I think Mum must want to run away from you."

Shayera gave him a look that meant "thank you." For the second time in the day, he had saved her.

"Why do you always have to cut my cheap, John?"

He shrugged.

"If these are our parents one day, I'm sure they would like to discover their life for themselves."

"If it's our parents? They are our parents."

"We can't be sure. We can be in a different reality." He drank some of his juice. "And look at them. They're uncomfortable with us."

"Are you always like this?" He gestured at the siblings. And then to Shayera. "We know who they pulled from the family, Shay."

She laughed, but shook her head.

"The night is interesting, but I'm going to bed ..."

Without another word, and ignoring the protests of the other occupants of the table, she was gone. Lily smiled again.

"So ... where was I?"

* * *

Jason and Honey were at Superman's table. Honey explained better about being Luthor's daughter, and how he came back after disappearing with Darkseid. And more importantly, how his daughter's custody got into Superman's hands. Jason , was oblivious to the conversation, focusing on a very cheerful redhead on the other side of the cafeteria. Lily noticed the boyfriend's gaze and smiled at him before returning to her lively conversation with her father and brother.

"Jason ..." Honey called out. "Or focus on us or stop eating Lily with your eyes and sit with her."

"All right, Jason." Clark said, the superman. "You can go if you want."

The boy settled himself in the chair, not without casting a last glance at his girlfriend.

"I'm fine here. It's just ... we have not talked much since we stopped in that time."

"Oh, how cute!" Honey hugged the near-brother. "But stop drooling."

He laughed and broke free.

"Then ..." Clark began. "You date the daughter of Flash and ..." He frowned. "Shayera?"

"She's the best. But changing the subject, how is Mommy? Have you told her your secret identity?"

"Not yet. However, I intend to do so soon."

"Do this. I want to be born someday."

They laughed. The friendly weather followed the rest of the dinner.

* * *

"Are not you too young to be a Green Lantern?" John asked his son Rex.

The brunette shrugged.

"It was a moment of need for OA, so they called me. I liked it and decided to stay."

"That's good, Rex." Smiled.

Vixen hugged John, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Talk about our family in the future."

"Well, I'm your eldest son, and I have a sister, Susan."

"I guess we're happy together."

"You split up for almost two years, then decided to go back. But nowadays it seems to me that they are very happy."

It was a good future, John thought. Even though he dared defy fate and had his future altered, he seemed to be where he should be. Everyone seemed to be.


	3. The Park

_**Chapter Three - Amusement Park**_

The teens gathered on the teleportation of that strange day. They wore normal clothes, their clothes from the time travel day, and John looked smaller without his wings. Unlike his mother, he could disguise them.

It was a little after eleven o'clock, and for a watchtower full of heroes, it was quite deserted.

"What do you say?" Martha asked, typing a few commands on the monitor.

"I love you, Martha, and I love you, Lily, but I think I'll spend the night talking to my father." It was Kira. The girl was really attached to J'onn, both in the future and now.

"Okay, what about you, Rex?"

Rex and John exchanged a strange look, edging their anger. Rex gave him a mocking laugh. Then he turned his back on the group.

"I'd rather have a boring night in the tower than go somewhere with this sucker."

If Jason did not hold his friend, he would have flown up on Rex, who was leaving with a laugh.

"It's not worth it, John. Relax and let's have some fun, man."

John nodded.

"Okay, I don't want to ruin the night."

"That's it. I still want to know why there is so much discussion between you."

Lily half-laughed.

"And this has nothing to do with the fact that my brother stabbed him when they were younger."

"It wasn't a knife, it was a pen."

Martha coughed, trying to remember what she was doing. Oh yeah, Central City.

"I don't want to be left in the middle of the couples. What do you say, Honey?"

"If you were a girl, I'd think about your case, Terry. Besides, I want to review the images of our costumes and see if I can find out what brought us here. But have fun for me."

"Then I think it's the five of us." Martha said. "Transport for five on the way."

Martha typed in some commands. They would go to Central City, to the park. They were about to go when they heard someone coughing. They turned around, just to see Flash stopped there. He crossed his arms.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Oh, Daddy." It was Lily. "We're bored, and we wanted to have some fun."

"I hear there's a park in Central City today." Martha said. "Come on, Uncle Flash. I understand with my father later."

Flash thought a little. He was bored too, and had planned to have fun in the park. He could have fun and take care of the teens. So easy. And everyone would be happy.

"Why not?" He shrug.

"No one can leave the tower, have you forgotten?"

They turned to see Shayera staring at them.

"We know, but ..."

"Don't!"

Flash held Shayera by the arm and took her to the teleportation.

"You can come along, Shay."

"For the responsibility to fall on me? No!"

* * *

The five teenagers and the two leaguers crowded into the toy chairs. Someone locked the security lock, and Shayera's wings were fastened behind her and on the faces of those beside her, but no one cared about the emotion of the moment. They heard the sound of the engines and the toy began to spin at great speed.

The night was fun, and the hours flew by. When they realized it, they had been running for over two hours in the park. Shayera was the least excited of the group, but they all managed to drag 'Aunt Shay' with them.

They were in the queue of the Ferris wheel. They would be next, they just had to wait a few more minutes.

"Dude, what a delay." Lily was beating her foot.

"Being patient is not a quality of the West family."

The teenagers laughed, but Shayera noticed that the girl kept moving.

"You're too restless, brat. What's the problem?"

Lily stared at Shayera. Since arriving, it was the first time the younger version of her mother spoke sounding like the Shayera she knew.

"Oh, nothing. It's just ... some problem with the hyper speed I inherited from Dad. Doctors said I'll stabilize when I'm older. My other sister has the same problem."

"You really were crazy about the three of us when we were kids. Only Daddy to calm us down."

Shayera glanced at Flash, who was behind her. Maybe from the crowd, he seemed too close. He just smiled when he noticed the look. The redhead looked forward again, waiting for the line to go.

The voices and screams began shortly after the crash. They looked up, the Ferris wheel had stopped. The people up there were desperate. Jason made his way through the crowd, and ran to the controls, where two employees were trying to get the toy to work.

"What happened?"

The others arrived shortly after. One of the staffs stared at the group while the other moved the panel.

"Why don't you get back in line, children? Let adults work."

The man scuttled them.

"But we want to help."

"You would help if you didn't disturb the adults."

"Can not you see Flash over there?"

The man looked at the scarlet figure, who waved at him.

"Um, it must be a fantasy. These children of today ..."

"Mother ..." someone shouted.

They all followed the sound of the voice, and looked up. A boy about eight years old rocked the safety bar of his chair frantically. He was shaking too much.

"Oh, shit!"

"Let's get him out." Martha turned to the group. She looked around. "Where is John?"

The boy slipped out of the chair, but felt a hand grab him. He blinked a few times, and saw a redhead holding him with one hand as he clutched the frame with the other. His body was half out, but he did not show that it took much effort to hold on. John pulled the boy close. He could not help it, and looked down.

"Try not to look down. Help, sometimes. Now let's go down ..."

The staff looked away from the scene only to land on the guys in front of him. They did not look shaken, and really came to their aid. Who were they?

"Maybe I should accept your help ..."

* * *

Kira was sitting in front of J'onn. They were both in lotus position, their eyes closed, meditating. Suddenly, the voice came in her head. It was Martha, talking about wheels and in desperate need of Honey's help. The Martian girl opened her eyes in alarm, and she noticed J'onn staring at her curiously.

"Anything, Kira?"

"No, Father. But I can't stay. I just remembered that I need to talk to Honey."

"It's almost one in the morning. What is so important that you cannot wait for the dawn day?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Father."

In a rush she got up and ran outside.

* * *

Honey was lying on her bed, analyzing the images of her costume, Terry and John. In an instant they fought a robot, the next moment, they were in the past. It did not make any sense. Unless...

She heard knocks on the door before Kira materialized in her bedroom. Honey sat on the bed, closing her computer.

"You need to go to Central City."

"I thought you were going to meditate with Uncle J'onn. Have you changed your mind?"

"Martha sent me a telepathic message. I think they need your help."

The blue-haired girl let out a heavy sigh and nodded.

"Tell her I'm coming."

* * *

Honey saw her friends in the midst of a cluster of people. He crossed the crowd and ran to them.

"Do you need me?"

"Yeah, the Ferris wheel stopped and we couldn't fix it."

She sighed.

"And to think I'm going to use my level 12 intellect for that ..."

Honey touched the structure of the toy. She closed her eyes for a moment, as if listening. When he opened her eyes, she knew what to do. She opened a panel below the controls.

"Try now."

The employees obeyed. The noise of the engines was heard and the toy came back on. The girls hugged Honey.

"That was cool, people. But it's time to go back."

"Ah, but I wanted to-"

"She's right. We've been here for hours."

* * *

All the teenagers, except Kira and Rex, who stayed in the tower, came together. They were still talking about the successful adventure of the night. When they returned, the other members of the league were waiting for them.

"If I remember correctly, you should be at the tower." It was Batman. "I don't trust you to leave without an adult."

"All right, we were with Daddy."

"A responsible adult."

"Not for that." Lily said. "Mom was with us, too."

Flash and Shayera appeared shortly after, laughing at something. Laughter died when they noticed the presence of the other five leaguers.

"It's Flash's fault ..." Shayera said, and still smiling, pulled away.

 **Thanks!**


	4. Second Day

_**Chapter Four – Second Day**_

The four girls shared two single beds. Kira and Lily shared a bed, just as Martha and Honey did with each other. Although they did not have much space, it looked like an improvised pajama party. It was a little past four when the door opened and Shayera entered. She whistled and clapped her hands.

"Get up, girls!"

They woke up startled, and Lily rolled to the floor.

"I want everyone to stand."

A little later, the four of them were lined up, looking sleepy.

"Do you know what time it is?"

"Four and something. Get dressed and follow me. You have five minutes."

"And we will not have breakfast?"

"No. Hurry up."

The redhead said and left.

"That's very unfair, Mom. I'm hungry!" Lily cried, but Shayera was already far away to hear her.

* * *

At four thirty in the morning, the teens were in the training room. Lily, Jason, and Martha were sitting on the mat. Still no sign of adults.

"I'm not a morning person." Lily said.

"Whatever, I hope it's Uncle Bruce. I have more chance of surviving."

Shortly after, Batman entered the room. Shayera came in at once.

"Ah, shit."

Martha and Lily laughed.

"Jason, you're Superman's son." Martha said, laughing. "You're the strongest of the League! You don't need be afraid of Auntie Shay. She is very cool."

"Stand up, all of you."

More than quickly, the eight teenagers obeyed. That was Batman. No one questioned his orders. He went on.

"Since you disobeyed direct orders and left before we even confirmed your identities, this is a little punishment."

Batman stared at Shayera, who rolled her eyes. She was only there because she went along. They expected that attitude from Flash, not hers, they said. As if she were a child who needed sermons.

"But I didn't go." Kira shouted.

"Not me." Rex said.

"You knew about the escape. You are also accomplices."

"The girls come with me." Shayera said. "Guys are Batman's problem."

The girls were with Shayera, in an obstacle session. They were in pairs, running from side to side. The boys were already training combat strokes. Jason and John formed a duo, as did Terry and Rex. Jason overthrew his friend and arrested him.

"You look terrible." Then he released him. They returned to the starting position of combat. "Come on, let go."

John looked thoughtful, and shook his head in denial.

"Come on, John."

"Don't regret later."

Jason laughed and walked away.

"Back to training."

"A minute, Uncle Bruce."

John took off his shirt, only wearing sweatpants.

"Hey, John!" Lily cried from the other side. "Nobody wants to see you naked here."

"Very funny, Kiwi."

He tossed his shirt in a corner. He shifted his shoulders and, as if by magic, two huge wings appeared on his back.

"Much better."

The boys stood in a fighting position and went back to dueling. After an hour, they switched places, the girls went to fight and the guys to the obstacles. So the next hour passed.

"Mom, I'm so hungry." Lily cried out.

"Already?" She returned. "We just started."

The next two hours were spent in a very productive training session in the holographic projection room. Four hours in all. The boys were tired. Rex, Terry and Honey were humans, and the most affected. The others, even with powers, were defeated. In floor. And did Batman want to continue? Was it punishment or torture?

"They've been here for hours, Batman. I think it's already good."

Batman looked out of the corner of Shayera's figure.

"Are you get soft, Shayera?"

She shook her head.

"They're children, Bruce." Then she yelled at the group. "You can stop. Go to take a shower and then you can go to the cafeteria."

She glanced at Batman, quietly asking if he would disagree with her. The Batman did not, and left the room. Lily ran and jumped into her mother's arms.

"Thank you, Mom." She kissed her cheek. "I'm starving."

Despite the fright, she caught herself smiling. Shayera accepted the girl's show of affection. Batman was right. She was getting soft.

* * *

That morning, their stories were confirmed. DNA was not lying. They were children of who they claimed to be. The seven founders of the league agreed to let the teens a little freedom. It meant they could leave the tower and explore their cities, with or without their parents. They just had to warn first. And never, under any circumstances, could they reveal who they really were. It was a fair deal.

Shayera felt strange looks on her, but not on her children sitting in front of her. They talked while they enjoyed their late breakfast, and they were somewhat oblivious to it. The looks were coming from around the other leaguers, as confused as she was. Having youngsters she had never seen before calling her mother was uncomfortable. But she knew she was not the only one. Everyone felt strange about the presence of those boys.

"Remember that girl, John? Melissa?"

"Don't tell me, Kiwi."

Lily touched her mother's arm, waking her from her reverie. Shayera then turned all her concentration on the children.

"John met this girl and-"

"No!" He said.

"What is it, John?" Everyone knows you've been stoned."

Lily laughed at his brother's embarrassed stare. Shayera was incredulous, but holding on to not laugh as well.

"John is a perfect example of a bum."

"I think I'll tell Mom some things I know about you ..."

"Don't you think, John ..."

Shayera looked at the two teens arguing. Her mind flew to the previous day when they appeared. She remembered them in action. When in uniform, they were part of the league, and acted as responsible heroes. But when they were in civilian clothes, as now, they acted like the teenagers they really were.

John, as she realized, was a calm and very protective boy, but he liked to try new things, quiet and unprejudiced. Already Lily was bossy and of explosive temperament, but it showed with a huge heart, as well as the Flash.

For the first time since it began, she would be proud to call them her sons, someday. She smiled and put her hand on her chin.

"You can't be my children. You're crazy!"

"You made it clear that you didn't want me using anything so ... natural."

John also started to laugh.

"Did I slap you? I mean, if you're really Wally's kids, he would not let them ..."

"No, you just made me train like hell. It was almost as bad as it was this morning." He replied. Shayera let out a sigh of relief, which she did not even know she was holding. "You and Dad would not beat us. But what does it have to do ..."

"Yes." It was Lily. "What about Daddy?"

"Don't you know?" They denied it. "If Wally never told you, I don't have the right to talk."

At the tone of Shayera, something between stern and frightened, the teenagers were silent. But the silence that formed was embarrassing and she found herself obliged to break it.

"Then in the future ... what do we do, as a family?"

Lily's eyes lit up.

"We always try to dine together, but Thursday is family night. Whenever possible, of course."

"Do you know what day it is?"

"Thursday?"

"Actually, it's Wednesday. But we can still do something together. What do you tell me?"

By happy expressions, it was a yes.

* * *

"Just a little while, Uncle Clark." Honey said, holding a screwdriver.

"Don t hurry, Honey. I have all the time in the world."

The girl laughed and slipped under the huge engine Superman held. The ton of metal seemed light on his hand, yet the position was uncomfortable after a while. Honey was good with machines, he thought.

"You know, you don't have to do this if you don't want to."

A bundle of blue hair appeared beneath the engine. She laughed.

"I like to be useful. And also, you could never adjust that engine without me. They were completely wrong."

"How do you know?" Another hero asked.

She patted the metal frame.

"IT told me."

The heroes looked at each other in confusion. To which Honey tried to add.

"In addition to the advanced intellect like my father, I am also a technopath."

"It's a rare skill."

"Yeah, I know. I think I'm done."

Honey left. She put her hands on her waist, taking a good look at her work. She smiled. Perfect. With a wave, Superman set the engine down. Honey kept the tools. He touched her shoulder.

"How do you feel about having family time? Me, Jason and you? So I know more about my children."

" It sounds great." She stood, wiping her hands on her clothes. "Ah, I have to warn you that I don't to eat meat, so ... would you get me a vegetarian meal?"

Superman nodded.

"Certainly, my daughter. Is it okay if I call you a daughter?"

"All fine." She looked happy. "It makes me feel at home."

* * *

Diana was pacing the halls in search of Martha. She met her shortly thereafter, exploring the place. The girl smiled when she recognized her mother.

"Hi, Mom! This place has changed a lot. It's still the watchtower, but it's still different, you know?"

"I understand."

Diana stared at the girl who would someday be her daughter with Batman. There was a resemblance between the two, and the girl had Bruce's intense eyes. She liked him. However, the Batman showed no match. His heart was hard, as if he had armor around.

She must have been thoughtful for a long time, for the girl was looking at her questioningly.

"What is it, Mother?"

"Nothing, but I was wondering if you'd like to spend time with me. We could make a girls night, or something."

"I'd love to, Mother, but we have to put Terry on the move.""

"Dinner, eight o'clock."

Martha and Diana turned in the direction of the voice. Batman walked quietly down the hall. His expression as neutral as ever. They looked at him quizzically.

"Don't be late." He said simply and continued on his way.

The invitation sounded like a summons. A formality, to try to make up for the strangeness of their presence in another time. Martha looked out into the hallway where Batman had just passed.

"You did a great job with him, Mother. He doesn't even come close to the man I know as a father."

* * *

"Excuse me, Father." Batman turned to a timid Martha, and saw that the girl did not come alone. Kira, Lily and Honey were with her. "I don't want to bother you, and I know you're still mad, but we need clothes."

"And what do you want from me?"

"One of your cards. We promise not to spend too much."

"Can not they borrow?"

"Our mothers don't have the same biotype."

"Yeah, not to mention it's not cool to wear the same panties two days in a row."

The girls laughed at Lily. Batman felt himself in control until he heard the word "panties." He would not have that conversation. Bruce let out a heavy sigh and threw a card at Martha. The girls smiled victoriously and left. Martha hugged her father, even though he did not respond.

"Thank you."

* * *

Kira looked the same as when she walked in the human world. Her long black hair and Asian features like her mother. Her dress resembled a kimono. The other girls were wearing the clothes from the previous day, the only one they had.

They chose Metropolis for their afternoon of shopping. They would not overdo it, right? Just some clothes to spend the next few days. They would not stay that long in the past.

Kira chose some dresses. It was very hot, so she preferred the lighter and more colorful ones. Martha chose clothes as elegant as her mother's. Lily and Honey took jeans, sneakers, shirts and races. After choosing the clothes for herself, Lily went to the men's session. Martha walked over to her.

"I can't forget to bring John's clothes." She pulled out a shirt. "I'll take this one to him, then I'll borrow it."

"You're the only girl who wears her brother's clothes."

"It's not like I could wear my mother's clothes. All her blouses have holes in her back." She reached for another shirt. "Look how beautiful!"

"Oh, I have to bring Terry clothes too."

"That reminds me, I'll get something from Jason."

Martha stopped.

"What about Rex? He'll be pissed if we forget him."

The girls looked at each other.

"Let's get him something!"

By late afternoon, they had many shopping bags.

"My father will freak out with all the money we spend." Martha said.

The four girls laughed as they entered another shop.


	5. A Family Night, part I

_**Chapter Five - A Family Night, Part I**_

A red ray passed through him. John Stewart, the Green Lantern played a ray of light, holding the speedster. He was surprised until he saw his friend walking toward him. John released him.

"Ah, hi Lantern."

"Where are you going in such a hurry, Flash?"

"I'm looking for Zatanna. You saw her?"

"No. What do you want with her?"

Flash shrugged.

"I'm going to spend the night with Shay and I wanted her to help me."

Flashlight raised an eyebrow, which Flash added.

"We're going to go bowling, and I wanted to see if Zatanna can hide Shay's wings."

"Bowl, is it? It sounds like fun."

"It's going to be like a family night, you know? Me, Shay and our children. Oh, I have to go, but if I see Zatanna, let me know that I'm looking for her."

In the next instant, Lanterna was alone. He paused for a moment to think. Bowling.

* * *

Shayera chose what to wear. It was just Flash, why was she so worried about a costume? Someone knocked on her door and she went to open it.

"Zatanna?

"Flash asked to help you. Can I enter?"

The redhead nodded and gave way.

"Can I know what he's up to?"

"Flash asked me for a spell to hide your wings in the night."

Shayera nodded again.

"And ... did you?"

"I wouldn't be here if the answer were no."

Zatanna took off her top hat, and took out a small bag. She filled her hand with a bright purple powder and blew it into Shayera. The redhead coughed in the smoke, but when the smoke subsided she felt lighter. Looking around, her wings were gone. She looked human. It was incredible, she could not describe the emotion of the moment in words.

Already Zatanna was proud of herself. She returned the hat to the place, and smiled at the redhead, still examining the new shape.

"Shayera." She called her. "You have until midnight."

"What?"

"Midnight the spell is over. Don't forget."

"I'm feeling like Cinderella."

Zatanna stopped at the door as she left. She did not want to disturb the redhead to dress up.

"He should really like you. Nor did he ask what I wanted in return."

Then she left. Shayera thought a little of the other woman's words, but she shrugged and went back for what to wear.

* * *

Clark without the Superman costume was the first to reach teleportation. He carried a picnic basket, and was nervous, waiting for the children. Shortly thereafter, Wally and John joined him. The two redheads looked like brothers, the resemblance was undeniable. Their clothes were also more or less the same, as they wore jeans and a T-shirt. The trio looked at each other.

"Are not too late for a picnic, Supes?"

"Ah, I'm going out with my kids from the future and I thought I'd do something different."

"Cool, we'll go bowling. Me, Shay and our children."

Martha and Diana laughed as they joined the group. John stared at Martha in her black dress, leaving the girl a little embarrassed. She smiled up at him. John opened his mouth, as if to speak, but gave up. He looked away from somewhere on the floor. They always stayed in that situation. John was not shy, but he never admitted how he felt about her. Martha did not open either, so they kept on that friendzone.

Shayera gained interesting looks because of the wings. Or the lack of them. She looked smaller without them, even if her boots gave her a few inches. The jeans and white jacket were comfortable for the family program. Flash waved at her. As if he could not see them. Shayera rolled her eyes and walked over to them.

"I owe one to Zatanna." Flash said. "She was very nice to help."

She looked at the group.

"I think we all had the same idea. Go out with family."

Lily ran down the hall until she hit a wall of muscle. Jason caught her by the arms and began to kiss her.

"Is this all for me?"

"Let's spend the night the four of us: John, Mom, Dad, and me." She was excited. "I'd call you, but then I'd have to call Martha and it would not be a family night."

"All right, Li. I'm having dinner with my father and Honey."

"Late, brat." Shayera said when she saw Lily running to them. She was with Jason right behind.

Lily kissed her boyfriend and ran to her parents. Jason went to his father.

"Shall we?"

The four of them headed for teleportation. They waved to the group and were soon taken to Central City. Terry appeared minutes later talking to Honey. They said goodbye and each followed with their own family.

* * *

Bowling was the chosen program for the "family night of the West". The place was relatively full by the middle of the week. Wally went to pay, and the kids went with him. Shayera took a good look at the place, thinking it was too late now to give up the idea of family fun and run away.

She awoke from her thoughts as Lily held out a pair of shoes to her. Shayera frowned, confused.

"You have to wear that if you want to play, Shay." Wally explained, leading Shayera to sit down. "I'll help you."

Even under protest, she took off her boots. Wally crouched down before her and helped with the special shoes, as if she were a little child who could not tie up her own shoes. Shayera rolled her eyes, but said nothing. She let Wally have fun. John and Lily laughed and sat down, also changing their shoes.

"I think Dad is trying to impress Mom." Lily commented.

"And I think the 2018 Shayera never played bowling."

"She's very different from our mother, really. So cold."

John shrugged. He looked at two parents at the magnet.

"We were in another time, Kiwi. It is as confusing to them as it is to us. They are trying."

Lily rested her chin on her hand.

"How do you think they fell in love?"

Shayera and Wally approached.

"I don't think it was bowling ..."

* * *

Diana, Martha, and Terry stood at the door of the Wayne mansion. Before the bell rang, the door opened. Alfred appeared to receive them, and Martha's reaction was to jump into his arms. She hugged him and kissed his cheek. The butler had always been in his life, and she needed it. It was good to see him, even though he did not know her yet. Alfred regained his composure, and said,

"Master Bruce is waiting for you."

He led the three of them through a large hall to the library. For Diana, it was strange to see Bruce without the Batman costume. So, in normal clothes, he looked just like anyone else. Bruce closed the book in his hands and stared at the group.

"You arrived on time." He said.

"We wouldn't miss it for anything."

Bruce thought to say something, but he preferred to drop the book and stand.

"Let's go to dinner."

He was walking out when Martha called him. He stopped and stared at the girl who insisted on calling him father.

"Oh, Father. Before I forget ..." She shuffled her purse. "Here's your card. Thank you so much, really."

Bruce felt his spine freezing as he took the piece of plastic. Intuition, perhaps.

* * *

Clark took Honey and Jason to the top of a building. They could see the lights of the city, and the place was perfect. He spread the towel on the floor, and they crowded. Honey and Jason helped dismantle the basket and Clark stared at the kids. Jason was his son with Lois, and it was easy to imagine how much he loved his family in the future.

He looked after Honey. The girl had her blue hair twisted to the side, and she was smiling. He tried to imagine the scene she described the day before.

 _Lex and Superman were in a room with no way out. When the building collapsed, they managed to protect themselves in that place._

 _"I'm getting old for this." Lex said._

 _"We all are, Lex."_

 _"I wanted to try something big. The last move before I retired."_

 _"It didn't work out."_

 _Lex laughed._

 _"Who would say, I'm going to die next to my greatest enemy. Your son will grow up without a father, and I will never meet my daughter."_

 _"Daughter?" He was confused. Lex had no children._

 _"I impregnated a woman. Here among us, I was not sure if the child was really mine, but I'd get your exams and ultrasound and I thought, maybe it's time to have a family and stop being the villain of the story." He paused and faced the blue scout. "I'd really like to meet her."_

 _Luthor's words sounded sincere. So sincere that gave him new hopes. He stood up._

 _"If we work together, maybe we can leave ..."_

"Are you all right, Uncle Clark?"

He blinked, and realized the two kids stared at him.

"Yes, yes, Honey. I was thinking."

The girl laughed.

"Conflict, is not it?"

* * *

Rex was in his room, thinking. He was the only one in the tower. All the others were with their families, having fun. His mother was cool, and talked to him a lot, but there was a parade that night. His father, to whom he was so attached, exchanged few words. It was confusing, he knew, but he hoped his father would treat him better. He was not even trying.

He heard knocks and the door opened. John Stewart appeared, without the Green Lantern uniform. Rex stared at his father, sitting on the bed.

"I know it's strange, and although we have not talked so much, I want to change that." He paused and scratched his head. "It's late, but ... What do you say about bowling?"

"Now?"

"Now. Let's find some friends."

Rex practically jumped out of bed. He got some clothes and dressed.

"Shall we meet your friends in Detroit?"

"Actually, I thought about going to Central City ..."

 **I had thought of making family dinners as a single chapter, but it would have been a little big. So I decided to split it in two.**

 **Soon the second part.**

 **gratitude!**


	6. A Family Night, part II

_**Chapter Six - A Family Night, Part II**_

 **The Second part…**

Bowling was not a good idea. Shayera got the feat of piercing the wall with the ball. Three redheads, just as the other players looked at her. Every time she missed it, she became more and more irritated. How hard was it to knock some pins?

"Mom can be worse than we thought."

Lily laughed, but John was right.

"Someone needs to help her."

The two looked at each other, then turned to Wally. Wally noticed that the boys looked at him and shook his head.

"No!" He said. "Why not one of you?"

"We know how much mom can get angry sometimes."

"And you want to leave the problem to me?"

"You are married, I think you can be resolved."

They saw when Shayera took another ball. Lily and John began to push Wally closer to the Shayera. Someone took her hand and she forced herself to look. Wally was gripping her wrist awkwardly, and Lily and John were after him. She raised an eyebrow, as if to ask "what are you doing?"

"Do you want a little help, Mom? Daddy will help you."

Wally sighed. The boys were right. If no one interposed, Shayera would put the place down. Wally took the ball, and held Shayera's wrist with his free hand. She let herself be led onto the dance floor by the redhead. The children seemed satisfied.

"Come, Shay, I'll teach you the moves. I mean..."

The boys laughed loudly.

"Leave it alone, Wally. Don't make things worse."

"You think that's enough?" Lily asked, staring at her brother.

"Enough for what?"

"For them to fall in love."

John shook his head. Although she wanted to see their parents together, he knew they needed to be patient. Force was not cool. He learned that everything had a right time, and if it were to be, someday they would be together.

"We can't force them to like each other, Kiwi."

"They like each other, John. I can see that."

"Yes, but as friends."

"Are you sure?"

Lily punched her brother's arm and pointed at their parents. Flash was behind Shayera, one hand on her waist. With the other, he helped with the bowling ball. He showed her, walking her down the lane. The ball rolled over and knocked down some pins. Nothing was broken.

"It's getting better, Shay."

She smiled, but Wally was still too close. If he had wanted to, he would have let her go. But he kept one hand on her waist, brushing his other hand against her wrist. It was purposeful, she realized. There was not so much exposed skin, yet the feel of the contact was different. That Wally was different from the playful, almost silly Wally everyone knew. The breath in her hair was almost too good. Almost.

"You can let me go if you want, Wally."

"Ah, sorry."

Wally took his hand from her waist, and took a few steps to the side. She stared at him for a moment.

"Oh, no." Lily said and pointed. "Look there!"

The other three turned in the direction she pointed. At the entrance was John Stewart, followed by Rex. The boy folded his arms when he noticed the West's presence.

"Really, Father?" Rex asked. "A night with the Wests?"

"Why not?"

John Stewart nodded to them. He walked over to them, a Rex sulking just behind.

"Who called you?" It was Lily.

"Flash."

Three redheads turned to Wally. He raised his hands in surrender.

"Hey, I didn't call the Lantern. I said I was going to bowling with you."

"I thought ..." John shook his head. "I think I interrupted the night."

"Ah, no problem, man." He hugged his children. "You can join the family."

John and Lily laughed. Their father was lovely to everyone, even if the Stewarts arrived at a wrong time. John nodded to Shayera. The weather suddenly felt strange, and someone had to break the tension.

"People, let's play?"

"Who's scoring the points?" Rex asked. The faster they played, the faster they would get rid of unwanted companies.

"No one." Lily replied. "We were waiting for Dad to teach Mommy to play."

"We're six, so ... how are we going to split the teams?"

They were two women, and four men. They could throw their children against their parents, but leaving Rex and John on the same team was asking for trouble.

"If one of you were a woman, you could play boys against girls." Lily said.

"I think it's you, John, on the girls' team." Rex said mockingly.

John shrugged. Would not he ruin the special night with his family. Even with unwanted companies.

"I don't see any problems." He said it and he was sincere. "I'm with Mom and Kiwi against the three of you."

"We're going to lose ugly!"

They laughed. With the teams formed, they started the game. Lily was right, they were terrible. At least they had fun.

John brought two beers. Shayera was sitting, watching Wally and the children. He handed one of the bottles to the redhead.

"Flash seems to be having fun." Lantern remarked, sitting next to Shayera. She took a sip of her beer, watching the speedster's interaction with the children.

"Yes, of all those involved, he has accepted this situation better."

John took a good look at Shayera. She was also happy, almost amused by the situation.

"I always imagined my story would be different."

She rested her chin in her hand and looked at John.

"For those who said you didn't want to be a slave to fate, you got a new reality." There was no hurt in her voice. Her tone was neutral.

"About this ..." He started, low.

Then she laughed, interrupting him.

"I just don't understand how I ended up on the side of Flash."

John joined her in laughter. Lily waved at Shayera.

"Mom, it's your turn."

Shayera took another sip of beer. She stood and looked at John, still smiling.

"However, I begin to like these kids." She confessed.

John Stewart watched as Shayera hugged her children after a strike. She smiled as she celebrated with the children. Surely she would be a good mother.

* * *

Bruce watched his guests as discreetly as possible. His daughter, his protege, and the woman who would later become his wife. When he traveled back in time with the Green Lantern, he found himself as a lonely old man. But it seems that they have changed the future.

He glanced at Martha. The pretty girl had his mother's name. A tribute, it was very likely. She ran her hands over her shoulder-length hair as she talked to Diana and Terry. Try as he might, Bruce's mind always flew away from dinner and conversation. His mind confused. He was not afraid to be lonely, after all, he liked being alone. But the new future presented seemed much better.

"What is it, Father?"

"It's nothing."

"Hm. I've been thinking and ... thank you for dinner. It's kind of you."

Bruce shrugged.

"It was the least I could do. I know how much these time travels can be confusing."

"Do you think we change the future?"

"Time is in constant motion. There's no way ..."

Martha laughed nervously. She barely got out of the depression, did not want to sink again.

"It doesn't make me feel better. I may have accidentally destroyed my family."

Bruce was reluctant for a moment. He looked from Martha, his daughter, to Diana. The Amazon silently questioned him. With a sigh, he reached out, holding her hand in his.

"Don't worry about it, will you? Let's give you back in time and everything will be all right."

She smiled. Bruce's welcoming gaze reminded her a lot of her father. The man she knew was somewhere there, ready to be discovered by Diana. Her heart filled with hope. She squeezed his hand back.

"Now I know you do."

After that, dinner followed in a good mood. Even Bruce struggled to participate in casual conversations, as if he were in a real family. This was your family, right? Maybe someday.

After dinner, it was agreed that Martha and Terry would stay at Bruce's mansion. It was more comfortable, in his words. Bruce followed Diana to the door. He did not insist, nor did she say she would. It was better this way. Diana looked at him and smiled.

"That was very good of you, Bruce." She said.

"It was the least I could do. Besides, it was just dinner."

Diana shook her head.

"It wasn't just dinner or shelter. In your own way, you're showing that care about these kids."

"I really care, regardless of anything else."

The Amazon smiled and kissed his cheek.

"You'd be a great father, Bruce. I really have to go now."

Bruce stood in the doorway, watching her leave. When Diana was out of sight, he closed the door. Try as he might, he did not restrain his smile. He also softened, with only one dinner. He could not wait for the next days ...

* * *

Clark watched the children eating the sandwiches and fruit he brought. He had to apologize countless times with Honey because the fruits were the only food free of animal ingredients that he could find at the last minute. The girl did not seem to care. The intention of the family moment was more important.

When they had finished eating, they turned their attention to the incredible landscape of the place. With such clarity it was impossible to see the stars in the sky, yet the city lights themselves shone in the place of the stars. It was a bit chilly from above, so Clark remembered to bring blankets.

"We just need a campfire and we'd have a camp." Jason commented. "We had many camps at home when we were young."

Honey nodded, remembering their jokes.

"It was good times."

"I will remember when you will my children." Clark said.

"Please do this." He paused. "How would you be reacting with our faults in the future?"

"I'm sure they're looking for us, Jason. I just still don't understand how we came to stop here. We detected the anomaly, but I don't know where it came from or where it went. We were simply sent to another time."

"Whatever, let's find out." Clark looked at his children and wanted to change the subject. The night was for fun. "Do you prefer to stay here a little longer or do you want to go home?"

The boys stared at each other, agreeing without words to stay. It was good there. They saw almost the whole city, besides being quiet, despite the noise of the traffic below them.

* * *

The sound flooded into her sleep, waking her up immediately. Martha could hear the melodious sound of the piano downstairs. Barefoot, she left the room and went to the stairs. She sat on the last step, half hidden, reveling in the melody. Bruce stopped when he noticed the girl on the stairs. She got up and went back to the room when Bruce called her. Stop, wait.

"Come on." He said.

Martha obeyed, hurrying down the steps. She sat on the floor at her father's feet. She was staring at Bruce with a lovely expression.

"Can you continue, please?"

With a nod, Chopin's notes filled the room again. She closed her eyes, almost hypnotized. When he reopened them, some time later, he smiled.

"You sang to me and my sisters when we were younger. When I grew up, you tried to teach me some notes, but I never had any talent."

Martha did not look at him at the moment, but she seemed lost in happy memories.

"Do you like your family?"

"What don't i like? I have the best parents and the best sisters."

"I'm still not sure if I'm the man you expect to father."

She looked at him now.

"I know, you're still in the dark. I mean, it's okay to enjoy being alone, or staying in the dark. It is comfortable, cozy. The problem begins when we forget that the light is also there to be used."

The words touched Bruce's heart. It was as if she understood, or experienced the same experiences as him, somehow. He forced himself not to escape his own thoughts, and continue to listen to her.

"There is that moment when you are about to fall, someone comes and saves you. The dark is still there, and sometimes it becomes necessary, but I have learned that we can also walk in the light. The mother saved you, and you deserve every second of happiness she gave you. Good night."

Martha smiled and got up. She was going back to the bedroom when she heard Bruce's voice.

"Who saved you from the darkness?"

The images of the darkest night in Martha's life came into her mind.

A failed mission, her first official mission in the league. The night of a storm, a confusion of cries and weeping. Her chest ached so much, and she wanted to die. But then, there he was to get her...

Martha's smile widened.

"An angel."

She continued up the stairs, leaving her father alone. He stopped to think about what she said and maybe she was right. Someday, maybe ...


	7. Shayera and Wally, John and Martha

_**Chapter Seven - Shayera and Wally, John and Martha**_

It was almost three in the morning when Shayera moved on the couch. Se could not find a satisfactory position for sleep. Her wings bothered in every position. The space was very small. The floor at the time seemed much more inviting, and not because Wally was there. It just seemed better.

"Can not you sleep, Shay?" Wally's voice came from the floor. "You could have stayed in bed with Lily."

By the time bowling night was over, she was ready to go back to the tower, but John and Lily insisted on sleeping in "Daddy's" house. Bad idea, considering the tiny size of the place, but the kids looked happy. Lily took the bed, and John slept on the floor of the room. Already Shayera had the couch and Wally was on the floor next to her.

Shayera moved on the couch to face her friend. He used his pillow a hands, staring at the ceiling. She seemed much more comfortable than she.

"I've slept in worse places. Don't worry."

"I'll always worry about you." He chuckled. "Our lives were difficult, were not we?"

"And when life is not difficult?"

Wally then looked away from the ceiling and landed on it.

"Do you think they are happy?"

The "they" referred to the children. However, knowing his difficult childhood, the question had a slightly deeper meaning. She stopped to think. Those boys had a true adoration for both of them. Ever since they arrived, strange as it was, they were looking for a way to be around her or Wally. Surely those children were well treated, and happy in their reality. She smiled and reached out, entangling her fingers through his hair.

"You'd be a great father, Wally."

"I think they are yours, too."

It was true, but ...

"Believe me, if it is to happen, I won't avoid it. But I don't want to force anything, okay?"

"Okay. Night, Shay."

He turned to the side and closed his eyes. Shayera waited a few minutes and called. When she got no answer, she dropped to the floor. It was more comfortable, she thought. Her wings now had space.

* * *

When Wally woke up, he soon realized that he was not alone. There was someone beside him. Turning slightly, he saw the sleeping figure of Shayera. At some point in the night she went down to the floor. She was so close, and she was so beautiful. He would be very happy if someone like her fell in love with him. He held his breath, reached out to touch her.

Shayera felt two fingers touching her cheek. She opened her eyes and smiled.

"Good morning ..."

So Wally was there, very close. She felt his lips against hers. She caught herself responding, but ended as fast as she started.

"Sorry, Shay. It was an impulse. I don't know what hit me."

"All right, Wally."

"It won't happen again, I promise."

"I know."

They stared at each other for a second. When they realized it, they kissed again. Wally turned them over. He buried his fingers in her hip, and Shayera was very receptive to his touches. However the bedroom door was unlocked. Shayera pushed him and Wally fell to the side. John appeared in the doorway, followed by Lily.

"We're hungry." It was Lily.

"Are we in the way?" John asked, watching the couple.

"Not really."

The boys nodded and went to the kitchen. Shayera stared at her friend.

"We'll talk about it later."

More than quickly he stood up so he would not risk falling into temptation and kissing her. Seeing herself alone, she smiled. It was not all bad.

* * *

"How was dinner at Uncle Bruce's?" John asked. He and Martha were coming down the hallway. She shrugged.

"A little formal for my taste." She said. "But I understand, this is not my father yet. And the night of the bowling?"

"Interesting. Mom almost destroyed the place yesterday."

They laughed. Rex turned the hall, stared at his friends for a few seconds, and smiled.

"Hi, man." Rex said.

"Hi."

Martha looked at John as Rex walked away, following his way.

"Rex Stewart talked to you?"

John shrugged.

"Uncle John showed up on our bowling night, and even that was cool. Rex has not yet hinted at my sexuality, so it's a breakthrough."

"How strange." She laughed. "But I'm glad he leaves you alone."

"Me too."

* * *

Shayera tried to avoid Flash in the morning. Her attitude was in vain, after all, she soon realized that he sought her everywhere, making it clear she would not run away from the subject. When she saw him through one of the many corridors, she turned away. She hoped Flash would not see her.

A red lightning bolt stopped in front of her, and she almost fell when she bumped into him. Flash held her arms to prevent her fall, but also to keep her from running away from him. If she thought of dodging, she was very much mistaken.

"Are you avoiding me, Shay?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Don't play foolhardy."

Flash pushed Shayera against the wall. There was no one around, so he pressed his body against hers. Beneath the thin layer of fabric, she felt his body clamoring for her. Their foreheads lie together. His breathing was very close.

"What are you doing?" As if she did not know.

"You said you wanted to talk about this morning."

Shayera gripped his biceps with the intention of pushing him away, but gave up trying. He would flee if he wanted to, but Flash was not a threat.

"I said talk, not kiss."

"Ah, Shay ..."

He laughed, then ducked lower. Shayera wanted to push him away, but she did not have the strength to do. She closed her eyes, surrendered. His lips brushed against hers. He ran her tongue, begging for permission, and she promptly gave in. She opened her mouth, her eyes closed and her heart pounding. The coherent thoughts of running away broke as she felt him kiss her. And Shayera corresponded to him. They separated briefly and she smiled.

"I'm going to kill you." She whispered, between smiles.

He laughed still with closed eyes. Then he would kiss her again. Heaven would not be as good as kissing her.

* * *

John was in his third cup of hot chocolate. Martha looked at her own glass and sighed. They were in the food court of the mall waiting for Lily and Jason.

"I don't think Lily is coming." She said, looking at her friend.

The truth then hit John.

"Ah, Kiwi! Why does she try to do this to us?"

Martha laughed a little sheepishly.

"Your sister insists on wanting us as a couple." She paused, and looked at John over the glass. He took her hand.

"You know I don't want to hurt you."

"That excuse is getting old, John. I mean ..."

The building shook. Had a great bang, then the impact. More than quickly, they rushed out. The clusters of people formed around the street, where smoke and debris could be seen from what looked like an old plane, if they were right. Looking at the sky, Martha regretted it. What was coming toward them was much worse ...


	8. Under Attack

_**Chapter Eight - Under Attack**_

Lily was thrashing her eager foot when Jason came running toward her. She was near the controls, typing in some commands.

"Come on, Jason." She shouted. "I don't want John thinking I armed to him and Martha again."

Jason wrapped his arms around her waist as he reached her.

"And you're not?"

"Not this time ..."

"I know." He laughed, meeting his girlfriend.

Across the tower, Shayera still had Flash pressed against her. Filling with strength, she managed to push him a little. It was good, but it had taken too long. She could not go on. She did not want him to think it meant anything.

"Someone can see us."

"What's the problem, Shay? Don't you like it?"

"Let's say I don't want to be seen in this situation."

Flash stared at her in disappointment. He nodded, and moved away a little.

Honey, Kira, and J'onn were already repairing some machines in the control tower.

"Give me that key, please."

Kira obeyed. She liked to help Honey, and she still enjoyed her father's company by helping them. It was good, she felt almost at home.

They were all entertained until the alarms went off. Red alert. They rushed to the monitors. J'onn typed in some commands and the information appeared on the screen, just like in Honey's suit.

"Some interference in Gotham." He looked better, crossing over with Honey's information. "Another temporal anomaly."

"Gotham?" Lily and Jason were with them. "John and Martha are there."

"I'll call Batman." J'onn said. "I think he's in town."

"What's going on?"

They turned to Shayera, who was followed by Flash.

"There's something going on in Gotham, and John and Martha are there."

"I'm getting in touch with them."

* * *

Martha touched John's arm, forcing him to look up. He saw what made his friend so worried. A great crack in the heavens. Like a huge scar, it gleamed open in a long lane, perhaps stretching for a few miles. From it, more planes appeared, coming toward them.

John recognized those planes. They were ancient, and far away, but he would recognize a jet figher anywhere. And he could see the machine guns pointed.

"Damn, they're going to shoot."

Martha stared at him for a second, frightened and confused. Then John's words made sense. The teenagers rushed into the crowd.

"Everyone's leaving." She shouted. "Hide. Now!"

The order came just before the shots. Frightened people ran around, not knowing what to do.

"Uncle J'onn." Martha's voice came through the communicator. "Help us!"

"I'm going." Shayera said, but J'onn held her arm.

"Your son is there, which makes you emotionally involved."

Shayera was about to argue, which would lead them into a clash. Those people needed help, so ...

"Then I will." Kira said.

"And us." John Stewart appeared, followed by Rex. Both in their Green Lantern uniforms.

* * *

John improvised a shield while keeping two girls under him. Martha helped a couple get up.

"John!" She screamed, helping the couple hide. "Give me cover."

"Let me go." He returned.

"Without the armor you would be an easy target."

Reluctantly, he nodded. Martha took off her torn jacket, displaying the Amazons' bracelets. Had to run until help arrived. Taking one last look at John, she flew toward the planes.

One of the pilots saw the girl coming toward him startled, but he soon recovered and fired. The shots hit Martha's bracelets, which diverted the bullets. She used the reflection of the sun to blind him. He grabbed the tail of the plane, and yanked it off. The plane was then free falling to the ground.

Martha watched the jet fighter for a moment, but another shot toward her. She fought the bullets as best she could, until suddenly one of the fighters exploded in front of her. Martha blinked a few times and smiled at the sight of her father's ship, helping her against the enemy. Kira was there too, by her side.

The wreckage of the plane fell to the earth, but a green ray covered the place like a shield, while another green beam divided the last of the fighters. Martha took a deep breath, grateful for the help. John used his wings to join her in the sky as well as Kira. The two Lanterns were soon at their side as well, and Batman's ship hovered in the air.

"Is it over yet?"

"I don't think so. Look."

John pointed the crack in the sky. A few more fighters came toward them.

"Where are these things coming from?" Rex was beside them.

"First world war." They looked at John. "It's a Fokker D VII. 1918 German fighters."

"Whatever, they went through the anomaly in the sky." Batman's voice came through the communicator. "We need to destroy it. Martha and Kira take care of the fighters. The others come with me."

The groups broke up. Martha and Kira flew, taking the planes away from the boys. John took a second to look at Martha, as if to say something, but gave up and joined the others.

Through the crack they could see another reality. A world at war for domination of the air. It was not Gotham, as English and German planes dueled in the skies. John reached out to touch the crack, but a green beam formed like a handcuff on his wrist. Rex was by his side.

"I know you're a sucker, but I still don't want you to go to another time. Again."

John nodded, silent, surprised at the behavior of his teammate. Did Rex forgive him? Or maybe the time trip might have changed him. He could not answer.

"Any ideas, Uncle Bruce?"

A few more planes were coming toward them. Green Lantern John Stewart did not wait for an answer, as he tossed a charge of his ring against the opening. Rex followed his father's example, and Batman also shot. They waited and nothing.

The seconds passed, and suddenly the glow around the crack intensified. It was not possible to see from the other side, and they heard a rumble. They tried to escape, but the wave hit them full.

* * *

John woke up shortly after, floating in a green bubble. John Stewart and Rex were with him. He saw Batman unconscious. Looked around. The crack was still there, but smaller, as if it were slowly closing. Kira was not. Not even Martha. He remembered the explosion.

More than quickly it came out of the green protection and flew back to earth. He saw Kira in the midst of the wreckage of the planes in the smoke. He came down to her. He soon realized that she was not alone. The Martian girl was touching Martha's shoulder, bending over.

"Martha." She called. It's higher. "Martha!"

"How are you?"

Kira looked at John. His thoughts were strong in her direction. Worried about Martha. It was no secret that he liked her. John crouched down before them. Checked Martha's signs, they were stable.

"I don't know. With the light, Martha held me and we fell. She protected me."

"Uncle Bruce doesn't look good either." He said. "Let's get her and get out of here."

"Did we travel back in time?" She asked.

"I hope not."

They heard a groan, and Martha began to move. Kira and John tried to stop her from moving, but she sat up. Martha was covered in dust, but alive. Her body ached with shock. Their condition was deplorable, but John did not care. Martha smiled at him, but then she felt his hands on her neck. It was not a simple hug.

Like the first time, he was afraid of losing her. The only moment he let his feelings speak louder. So Martha knew that John loved her back, though he would not admit it. She pushed him aside, but smiled at the look of concern she was receiving.

"There's no getting lost now, John." She said. "You can let me go if you want ..."

"I don't want to let you go, Martha. That is the problem."

Then his lips were on hers. Martha wrapped her hands around his neck, getting lost in the temptation that was John. How can she stand for so long without him?

They seemed oblivious to the people around. They did not care about the destruction, the hurt people, or the looks they received. It was just Martha Wayne and John West at the time. It was all they needed.

Kira looked away from the scene, though the boys were oblivious to her. John Stewart and Rex then appeared, carrying Batman, still unconscious. It was not good.

"Is everything okay?" J'onn's voice sounded through the communicator.

"Batman needs medical support, and the boys have minor injuries." John Stewart replied. "I have no idea what happened here, J'onn."

"I'm bringing you back. And sending a crew for cleaning." He said resignedly.

For some reason, he thought that was just the beginning. Something else was coming, it was true. He just did not know what.

 **Some answers, and more questions in the next chapter.**

 **I promisse.**

 **Thanks!**


	9. Theory

_**Chapter Nine - Theory**_

John and martha arrived hugged in the tower. A trickle of blood trickled down his forehead, already Martha had a few scratches and a big sore on her arm. Kira came later, along with the Lanterns. Medical care was already waiting for Batman. They put him on a stretcher and took him away.

Shayera and Diana arrived first and hugged their children. J'onn was about to receive Kira, and she hugged him. Soon Diana and Martha headed for medical bay to hear about Batman. Flash and Lily joined Shayera and John.

"It's just a cut, Mom."He said. "You worry too much."

"Look at me, I sound like a real mother." He touched her son more.

They laughed. Lily hugged her brother, and whispered.

"What happened down there?"

"I have no idea, but I think those fighters came from the First World War. On the other side, I saw German fighters chasing an English squadron. This explains the fall of the first plane."

Honey moved closer to her computer.

"Displacement in time and now in space? That puts my theories down."

"We urgently need a meeting." J'onn said.

Everyone agreed. With Batman gone, the urgent meeting would be between the other six members and their children. When Batman woke up, they might have new information, but they needed to start figuring out what was going on over time.

John looked at his family. Shayera and Lily were still hugging him, and Flash had a hand on his shoulder. His mind, however, was a little far away. Martha. He needed to talk to her. He was carried away by the emotion of the moment, and now he could have spoiled everything. It took him a long year to try to hit his life, and in minutes he ruined everything. He got out of the family.

"I need to get out for a minute."

"See if you don't ruin everything, John, or it won't be Martha who's going to kill you." Lily said, it would be too much for John to think it was a joke. John just shrugged and left.

* * *

Martha looked out the window at the doctors working on her father.

"How's Uncle Bruce?"

She jumped, but she recognized the owner. He gave a half smile and turned to John. He had his hands behind his body, and he swayed a little. Martha took a step forward, but stopped.

"I don't think you're here just to know how my father is." She said.

John shook his head. He felt the sticky liquid on his forehead. But he would not let a doctor sew him for something so small. His bandages he made them himself, or his mother, or Lily, when he needed to vent. Maybe he would ask his sister for help later.

A huge bandage was wrapped around her arm. She probably took some points. The scratches and red marks were on her face. Her clothes were dirty with dust. He had no idea how long he just stared at her. His will was to hug her again, but it would make it all more difficult.

"So? I am still waiting."

"I think you know why I'm here."

She nodded.

"Don't give me that old story."

"Martha, you know ..."

"It's been a year, John!" She shouted.

"That's what everyone says. Mom, Dad, Lily, Joy, my friends ..."

"They're right." She returned. "You cannot stop your life for so little."

"It was not enough for me. No one would understand ..."

Martha approached, pointing her finger at him.

"Don't say no one would understand what goes on in your mind! Not for me!"

"Martha ..."

"No, John! Don't make excuses, or anything else. Don't expect to really lose me or you'll have something that you really regret."

John opened his mouth to speak, yet his voice did not come out. She was right. He stared at the floor, staring at a spot between his feet. Martha sighed, shaking her head. Her face turning red.

"You really are an idiot, John Wallace West!"

"I'm sorry, Martha."

"I don't apologize, no."

Martha turned away and left. John watched as the girl entered the medical bay. He kicked the first thing he found, then punched the ship's wall. Bad idea, how the pain hit him full.

"Shit!"

* * *

Half an hour later, the members would show up for the meeting. J'onn, Kira and Honey were already present. John Stewart and Rex arrived shortly thereafter, followed by Jason and Terry. Gradually, they were present. The founders were in their seats, and their sons standing beside.

They were six adults and seven young people. Aside from Batman, someone was missing.

"Where's John?" Shayera said.

It gained some confused looks from the adults. John Stewart Coughing, frowning. Did the redhead talk about him?

"Oh, I'm here?"

But she shook her head.

"I don't mean you." She said. "Talk about my son John."

Lily grabbed a few feathers from Shayera's wing, gaining her attention.

"I think I know where John is." She was looking at Martha as she spoke. Martha, for her part, looked away. "I can look for him if you want."

"Go there."

Lily nodded and left quickly. J'onn coughed, trying to bring the focus of the meeting together. All eyes turned to him.

"A few days ago, Shayera and Superman attended a call in Metropolis, when the monitors were out of control." He started. "Thanks to some interference, eight young people traveled twenty years in time. I crossed the information tower with the information of Honey, and the images of the costumes of Terry and John. The epicenter of the anomaly was in the boys' time."

"But it spread quickly for your time." Honey stood up, projecting some data. "We travel in a matter of seconds. The same anomaly was detected today, which caused the confusion we faced in the morning."

"I don't remember any crack in the sky the first time." Martha retorted.

"We were entertained with the robot to notice anything. I know it's the same anomaly because the traces of energy are compatible. However, the epicenter has changed. John was right. It started in 1918 and came to present Gotham."

"Savage once changed the weather." It was Superman. "We stopped in World War II."

"But time has not changed, Uncle Clark. We are not in an alternate universe. It is the same linear time, you continue yourselves."

"Maybe it's collapsing."

Green lantern won interesting looks from colleagues. He did not know if he should speak, but maybe the information was useful. Maybe even the same villain, though Batman made sure to take care of him. He sighed uncomfortably. She saw Shayera move in her chair, she knew in part.

"When Batman and I traveled back in time to a villain named Chronos, time was deteriorating. Chronos stole important objects, and changed the story. At one point, time itself deteriorated. When we stop, we return to the point where it all began, and only we had the memories of what happened. It seems we have changed the future, in part."

It was a condensed version. He did not touch names beyond what was necessary, and gave a new perspective. A villain with time-traveling powers was possible. They now had a new direction to follow. Maybe they would approach the identity of the enemy, right?

* * *

A confusion of images danced in his mind. He saw past, present and future, in countless different realities, colliding in time. His head ached and twisted. He grunted, trying to open his eyes. With great effort, he succeeded. It was dark and silent except for a half-light coming from outside.

Batman looked around, getting used to it. He knew enough about the medical bay to recognize where he was. He tried to remember how he got there, but in vain. The ideas were still vague and confused.

He felt something warm on his hand, and looked down. The grip was soft because the figure was asleep beside her. Diana was sitting in a chair, covered by a thin blanket. Her head hung down, and her eyes were closed. It was not difficult to realize that it was already night. He finally decided not to disturb Diana's sleep, but she moved a little later, opening her eyes and finding Batman very close.

She blinked a few times, startled her sleep. She smiled as she saw him awake.

"I'm glad you woke up."

"How long have I been away?" he asked.

"A few hours. Can you tell what happened?"

"I'm not sure. Still confusing."

Diana shook her head in agreement.

"I suppose so."

They stared at each other for seconds that seemed like forever. Diana wondered, but she gave up the protocol of formality and threw herself into his arms. She pulled him tight in a hug, hoping he was not in pain.

"I can't believe we almost lost you! Martha and I were worried."

Diana stepped away, feeling as if the contact was insufficient. Batman removed his mask. His blue eyes fixed on her, vibrating with something new.

"But I'm here ..."

"Yes." She whispered.

"And you, too."

Bruce was not sure why, but he wanted to have her closer. He reached out and touched her cheek. He traced the outline of her cheek. His hands and everything else seemed to have a will of his own. In his mind, a voice screamed to pull away, yet his will was to ignore it. Oh, Diana was so beautiful!

She closed her eyes with their closeness. When she realized it, she felt Bruce's lips pressed against hers. For Diana, it was like a dream. The second time she kissed him, now without the weight of a disguise. In the dark room, he felt as if he discovered a new part of himself.

However, the moment of intimacy lasted little as the door opened, revealing Martha. The couple walked away, watching the girl standing in the doorway.

"I just came to check on Dad, but I think he's fine. I'm so sorry."

More than quickly, she rushed out. Diana looked at Bruce again, feeling that the moment was over, but not ashamed.

"Martha's a great girl." She said. "You should try to get closer. after all, someday she would be your daughter."

"Our daughter." He confirmed.

"And that changes something?"

"Maybe ..." For the first time, Diana saw him smile.

"Fine." She stood up. "As much as I want to go on, I think it best to let you rest. Good night."

Without thinking twice, she stretched out to him, placing a soft kiss on his lips. That kiss meant a promise of something new, perhaps.

* * *

John stared at the lights of Central City. Beside him a glass of whiskey hung and hung a cigarette. He always liked high places, and it was the top of his father's dwelling. Lily joined him, sitting on the edge of the building, her feet swaying out. John blew the smoke away.

"Are you drunk?"

"Not yet."

"If you say you're smoking in hiding because of Mom, I won't believe."

"Martha." He simply said. "I kissed her."

"I saw it, everyone saw it."

"I don't want to hurt her, Kiwi."

The girl shook her head. Same old excuse. Same stupid brother.

"It's been a year, John. It is not enough?"

"It will never be enough. I'm so screwed."

"You were more screwed up when you and Rex stabbed."

The siblings laughed. The memories were not pleasant, John had the gut pierced and Rex had to remove the appendix, but at the moment it seemed hilarious. Maybe because of the drink. John threw the cigarette out and faced his sister.

"If I'd known that Katy was still with Rex, I would not have stayed with her. I already wanted Martha, but I thought ..."

"I know, everyone knows except Rex." She paused. She took the glass and took a sip. She grimaced, and John laughed. How did people drink that? It was awful. "But this forced celibacy will not get you anywhere. And Martha will not wait for you for a lifetime."

"Actually, I hope she finds the right guy."

"You're so covered up that you still have not realized you're the right guy." John opened his mouth to speak, but she interrupted him. "What is it? Everyone knows you got a bunch of girls and ... some guys, but no one cares, not even Martha."

"I don't think my bisexuality is the issue at hand."

"She really likes you, John! And you like her. Let me help you how you helped me with Jason."

"It's different, Kiwi."

Lily went down to the exit.

"No, it's not. I give up for now, but we'll still have this conversation as many times as it takes."

John knew Lily would never give up. But maybe she was right.

* * *

Bruce closed his eyes, trying to sleep after the brief encounter with Diana. His heart racing, pulsing hard in his chest. It was not normal, he observed. And she certainly was not related to Diana. His head was heavy, it seemed to have a ton. The pain came next.

Batman shouted, it was too much power. Again, past, present, and future collided in his mind, like the first time. But as fast as it came, it was gone. It gave up on him, calling him weak. He erased it then, certain that it would leave him for good. His mind was not enough, he said. Even unconscious, the word danced in his mind. Chaos...

 **My First moment WonderBat !**

 **I'm still thinking about the best way to introduce my villain.**

 **Thanks!**


	10. Calm Before The Storm

_**Chapter Ten - Calm before the storm**_

Honey stopped tightening the bolt and stared at her machine. Something was wrong, she felt. Suddenly her eyes widened.

"Oh, no! It's going to explode! Everyone moves away!"

They did as ordered. Kira hugged Honey, as the girl did not have time to run away like the others. The two fell, while the others approached the failed attempt to create a time machine. The smoke began to rise.

"Shit!" Honey shouted.

The two stood, watching the same as the heroes. Wrecks and smoke. Honey put her hands on her waist, scanning the debris.

"Calm down. We'll still be able to."

"I don't understand how I made such calculations wrong. I'll have to start over."

"Why do not you take some time off, Honey? Since you arrived, you work all the time."

Superman appeared soon after. But the girl shook her head.

"If we could get a time machine, maybe we could go back."

"Uncle Clark is right, Honey." It was Kira. "Let's go out this afternoon, and no protests."

Under the looks of Superman and Kira, she just had to accept. Her time machine would have to wait.

* * *

John woke as the cold water touched his face. He opened his eyes partially to see Lily holding a bucket. He just turned away, trying not to wake up.

"Ah, come on, John! Wake up!"

"Don't yell, Kiwi." He shook her head. "I'm hangover."

The girl tugged at the sheets until she was able to knock her brother down.

"Oh, what? Where's the fire?"

"Nowhere. "She laughed. "You need to be distracted. Let's get Dad to take us to Central City."

John sat down, looking at the clock. It was little past eight.

"I smell of cigarette, alcohol and vomit, and you want to get me up at this hour to go to Central City?"

"Whatever a good shower doesn't solve." She said. "I know you're upset about Martha, and I want to cheer you up. I promise you won't regret it. Meet you in half an hour."

Ignoring her brother's protests, Lily left. John wanted to go back to sleep, but he knew that if he did, he would be awakened by another bucket of cold water. So he had no choice but to get up.

* * *

When she opened the bedroom door, Shayera found the scarlet figure leaning against the wall. He smiled sheepishly at her.

"Hi, Shay."

"How long have you been there?"

"What? I just arrived." She raised an eyebrow. "All right, almost two hours."

"Wally, if you wanted to talk, you could have called me."

Flash shrugged.

"I didn't want to wake you."

"Hm, and what do you want?"

He scratched his head.

"I'm going to take the kids to Central City, will you come with us?"

"Look, Flash, bowling was cool, just like kissing, but I don't want to play house with you."

"Are we kidding? For me, it was pretty serious. I liked everything, Shay, and I thought you corresponded to me."

She wanted to say that she was sorry, that she did not think the same thing as him, but she did not say. Shayera looked both ways. At the moment, there was no one else besides them. She cupped his cheek and, standing on tiptoe, gave him a kiss on the cheek. Flash moved his face, so that their lips met. When she tried to pull away, he took her by the waist, gentle yet firm.

As at other times, it was good, and she found herself responding, but she knew she could not last. She felt as Flash began to push her toward the door, into her bedroom. She stopped, breaking the kiss, but kept close. They pulled away when Diana appeared. The Amazon raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. She just smiled and went on her way.

"You'd better go." Shayera advised.

* * *

His head still throbbed, but he felt lighter. He felt that a huge weight was taken from

his mind. Batman opened his eyes, still in med bay. The memories of the night before came back, even if he had not forgotten them. Diana. He and the Amazon princess kissed. And it was good, very good. The possibility of something new formed between them and, for the first time, did not want to escape.

However, the other memories also appeared. Past, present, and future collided in his mind, and though he could not remember these memories, he knew now what provoked all that. The same responsible for the trip of the children, as well as the enemies of other times. Something more powerful than anything they've ever faced. And it was just the beginning.

More than quickly, he got out of bed. He had to warn the others before it happened again.

* * *

"Hi, Wally." The waitress smiled as her gaze met the redhead. "You gone."

He scratched his head. John and Lily were at his side, looking around. The diner was familiar. It was the family's meeting point almost every night after bowling.

"Yes, Grace. I was busy."

Grace looked at the redhead in his casual clothes. Generally, he came alone, and talked, or tried, with the girls around. He was in the company of two kids today. The redheaded boy had a huge likeness. The same blue eyes, despite being much younger and having long hair. Already the girl exuded joy, just like him. It was like seeing Wally split in those two.

Relatives, she thought. She remembered that she was still at work and should attend to them. She smiled again.

"Hot chocolate?"

"You know me so well. I'll have twelve."

The waitress rolled her eyes. Wally always seemed to love the hot chocolate there. It was his only request. And the redhead always bought in large quantities. He was without doubt their best client.

"I want twelve, too." Lily said, catching Grace's attention. She could tell that the waitress liked Wally, which aroused her jealousy. Even though her parents were not yet together, she did not want other women coming after him. Grace smiled at the girl.

"Are they your relatives? They look like you."

"I would say so. Distant relatives." He turned to John. "You want something, John?"

John looked at the menu choices on the wall. So many choices. Since childhood he was a little hesitant, and this has never changed.

"Give me one of each."

The woman looked from the boy to the menu.

"There are 32 options!"

John shrugged, making her laugh.

"You can see that they are your relatives. If you were twenty years older, I would say they are your children."

The redheads looked at each other and laughed. If she knew...

* * *

"Do you hear me, Honey?"

"Huh?"

Honey turned to Kira. The Martian girl wore her usual disguise, but she looked a little more flushed than usual.

"You know sometimes I can't help but read thoughts, right? Can you stop, please?"

Honey laughed and nodded. Kira looked back at the direction where her friend was so interested. There was a couple at a nearby table. One boy, who looked like twenty years of brown hair, had his back to them. But Kira knew that the interest of the blue-haired girl was not the boy. There was a girl with him, sitting in front of them. The girl was blond, had green eyes and was wearing shorts and regata.

Trying to be discreet, she blinked. Kira was not sure if it was for her or Honey. She sat up again, getting a laugh from her friend.

"All right, I stopped. But it's not my fault that girls love my blue hair."

She had to laugh together.

"You don't exist. At least I got you out of the tower."

She blinked at her.

"It was not all bad.

* * *

Diana bumped into Shayera. The redhead turned when she saw her, and Diana wondered why. She reached her quickly.

"Are you running away, Shayera?"

"What do you think?"

"I thought you were braver than that. No need to hide, I won't ask about you and Flash."

Shayera looked at Diana.

"There's no such thing about me and Flash. Would you talk about Batman?"

Diana had no time to respond. They saw a Batman stumbling toward them. He tried to stand and hold the walls. Diana held him, preventing him from falling.

"Hey, Bruce, you're still weak. What are you doing standing up?"

He looked at them. Her expression was not happy.

"It will happen again. I've been in his mind and I know something big is coming."

That was all he could say before the tower alarms went off again. Mister Terrific and J'onn rushed to the monitors. Diana and Shayera helped Batman walk.

'Anomaly detected in Central City." Said Mister Terrific.

"There is another one about Metropolis and another 17 points around the world."

More and more red dots glowed on the screen.

"It's spreading. Send teams to places."

 **What happens next? What happens? I predict confusion. Gratitude, see you next time !**


	11. Old Enemies, part I

_**Chapter Eleven - Old Enemies, Part I**_

 **Dude, I'm in the hair color crisis! I went from dark blue to turquoise and the color has not yet softened haha! It was not strange, I felt strange, but it was cool ...**

 **Warning: This and the next chapter will seem a bit confusing. I had thought of doing a single event in time, and doing more like the "Destroyer" episode of JL, but then I thought about doing something a little more ... crazy. That's where it came from. But calm, everything has a motive, and Batman will explain later.**

 **And I'll bring an important figure to the story. Guess who? Starts with L ...**

John and Lily were lying on the grass of the park. Lily looked from their father, who bought ice cream, to John, who was beside him. She sighed.

"I love Dad, but I miss our real parents, I miss Joy."

"Me too. They try, but it's not like being at home."

"I wanted to know how the girls on the team are. I miss it, and not just for losing the games, but I miss them, you know?"

"I know, I also miss playing hockey. It was good to keep the head busy."

Lily laughed.

"Which one?"

"Kiwi ..."

"I was joking, John." She paused. "Who do you think they would put in my place?"

"You're the best jammer they've ever had. No one will replace you."

"I hope. I love the roller."

"And I love playing hockey." He moved a little to look at his sister. "I hope Joy understands why I won't help her with the sculpture."

John sighed. He hated breaking the promises made to the sisters.

He opened his mouth to speak, when thunder cut the sky. Soon it was getting dark.

"Oh, no! Again?"

In an instant they were standing, with Wally at their side. A brilliant crack opened in the sky, from which ships and ships came out.

* * *

Kira and Honey were leaving the diner when the communicator rang. She answered, and J'onn's voice came up worried.

"Honey, Honey! Another anomaly was detected in Metropolis." He warned.

The girls looked at the strange dark sky. Ships and creature appeared on the other side.

"We see, Uncle J'onn. I'm unarmed and Kira can't handle it all by herself."

"I'm sending reinforcements." He said.

The anomalies also came about Central City and other places around the world. Through the monitors, they saw the known ships in Metropolis. Since their last meeting, none of the heroes ever wanted to see them again.

"It's Darkseid's ships in Metropolis." Superman appeared. "Do you think Luthor comes back with him?"

There was no time to think. They heard the destruction going on down there and they had to act.

"I'm sending the teams." J'onn said. He pressed a few buttons. "All for teleportation."

The heroes obeyed as they were sent to the attacked cities.

"I'm going to send you to-"

"Don't give me that story of emotionally involved again." Shayera cut him off. "They are my children, J'onn. And I hope they have a better fate than time travel and die in the past."

J'onn nodded. The thanagarian redhead seemed really involved with the kids, and he would not be crazy to stand in the way of a mother. And also, he wanted to go to Metropolis to help his daughter.

"I'm going to send you to Central City. I'm going to Metropolis."

"I will, too." It was Jason. "My girlfriend and my best friend are there."

Jason ignored his fear. If in a normal situation he would avoid Shayera, this time life was at stake and more important than his fear of Shayera.

"We want to help, too."

Martha, Terry and Rex came running, already in their uniforms.

"All help is welcome. I am sending you along with regular members."

The boys ran for teleportation. J'onn turned to Batman.

"You're still weak. Stay here."

Reluctantly, Batman nodded.

"When this is over, we need a meeting. I might know what's going on."

J'onn nodded and went to his place. Diana stopped, looking at Batman, before launching at him. They hugged and she kissed him. She pulled away from his surprised look.

"Just in case I don't come back." She poked at him and ran for the teleportation.

It took Batman a few seconds to compose himself. When he did, he sat down in one of the chairs, ready to assist the heroes in action.

"Well ..."

* * *

They heard J'onn and Superman talk about the Darkseid ships in Metropolis, but in Central City, they were something else. Something they also did not want to face in another fight. Thanagarian ships. Neither John nor Lily saw one in person, but they knew them through the history books and their mother. It was still her nightmare.

Winged warriors left the ships, flying over the city. Wally felt he was coming back to that day, years ago, when Shayera had betrayed them, and the Thanagarians installed a dictatorship in the land.

"What are we going to do, Daddy?"

* * *

The bright crack cut through the sky. Rex Stewart looked up, though, there were no alien spaceships. Your uncle J'onn must have been wrong. He pressed the communicator to his ear, and before he could speak, what looked like a luminous whip caught one of his arms. Then another.

"Look, Dee Dee." The female voice laughed. "A Green Lantern."

Rex managed to let go and saw two girls coming toward him. They wore the same outfit, red top, white shorts and boots. Their orange hair was short, covered with a white cap. Their makeup-covered faces reminiscent of clowns.

Next to them, a sinister group. A face dressed in scarecrow, another that reminded him of a hyena and a fat, balding man with no lower body floating on a ball. Everyone with faces painted like clowns.

"But what?"

* * *

For Diana and Martha, the conversations by the communicators were strange. In every part of the world, the heroes heard the apparition of something different. All ancient enemies, all defeated by the league.

Diana remembered the creatures coming toward her. Thanks to them, he left Themyscira to help people. Those aliens took on the form of either, but they were in their original form. They did not have a face, and they were tall gray in color. They were armed, and they started firing toward them and the other heroes.

* * *

Terry heard the confusion of friends and teammates around the world. Where he was, it looked like a strange castle, covered with thorns and a huge labyrinth. He and his group looked around.

The gang coming toward them dressed like cards. There was a big man, marked with a 10. There was also a blond man, dressed in black and white, with the stick symbol painted on his right eye. Another man carried a scepter. A blonde woman was the lady, and beside her was a strange-looking girl, with A stamped on her clothing.

Batman had mentioned them before. He had faced them before. Ten, Jack, the Lady, the King and Az. The Royal Flush gang. Different past enemies, from different eras, all appearing at the same time. The question in the minds of the heroes was the same. What was happening?


	12. Old Enemies, part II

_**Chapter Twelve - Old Enemies, Part II**_

 **Hi I came back. It took me a long time to post this because it was too blocked. I was not up for anything. I could not write as much as I wanted, or do other things. But now I'm back. And just to warn you, I'm not very good at fight scenes, so do not expect anything great. Enjoy ...**

Rex took a few steps back as the Dee Dee sisters came toward him.

"Look ..." He started. "I don't hit in woman, though you deserve it."

"What a gentleman, Dee dee!" They laughed.

"Ah, but I do!"

They both looked at the direction of the voice, before being struck in the chest. They fell, and there was a blonde woman, dressed in a black over them. Rex blinked at the sight of the Black Canary. She was a spectacle, he thought, though it was not the moment. The blonde turned to him for the Green Arrow, who carried his bow, ready to shoot.

"I get them."

"What's left of the other three." The Arrow spoke. "Come on, kid."

Rex nodded. The Scarecrow threw some luminous bombs into the sky, which fell like small points of light. Rex created a shield, but those bombs exploded in contact, and continued to fall.

The heroes swerved as best they could, and the Green Arrow fired arrows, trying to keep them from reaching the ground. Woof, the hyena, took the moment of distraction to jump on his back. The Archer fell, with and Woof attacked him with his claws. Rex threw a green thunderbolt at him. Threw it at the Scarecrow. The two fell, but disappeared right in front of their eyes. Rex helped the Arrow to his feet.

The two men saw Black Canary fighting against the Dee Dee sisters. She used her sonic scream, and they both disappeared as well.

"Where are they going?"

"I have no idea, boy."

There was only one left. The fat man had a baton, ready to fight. However, before attacking, he was carried away by a bright light. The three heroes looked at each other. No sign of the enemy. The place was back to normal. This was too strange. Canary reached to the communicator.

"It's clean here."

* * *

Terry hit Ten. The huge villain trembled, and a bright light appeared next and wrapped him around. The villain disappeared in magic. He understood what was going on. Somehow, the villains were not real, and if they were injured they were taken back.

"These things disappear when they get hurt!" He shouted through the commic link.

The other heroes heard the message. Terry threw his batrangs at the villains, and the Queen, the King and the Jacket were carried by a light. Az, finding herself alone, began to shine. The light around her grew to the point of blinding. The heroes were thrown away, and the next moment she was out. For now, it was just a test.

Terry looked around when he could see again. The city has returned to normal. The castle disappeared, with no sign of its enemies. Only the heroes were with him.

"Everything is under control here."

* * *

Diana and Martha heard Terry's message. The aliens were coming toward them. Martha defended herself with her bracelets, as did her mother. The Vigilante was with them, and he was shooting at the creatures that were coming toward him. The stricken creatures collapsed and disappeared.

"What madness!" It was Martha. "Does anyone know what's going on?"

"Concentrate, Martha." Batman's voice came through the commic link. "The answers will come later."

"Okay, Dad. I trust your judgment."

The heroes defended themselves as they could, until the sky darkened. In a moment they looked up, and saw the immense alien ship approaching.

"Martha!" Diana yelled, and the girl nodded, understanding.

Mother and daughter flew toward the ship, while the Vigilante distracted the aliens on the ground. They surrounded the ship. Shots of energy left the ship, and Martha wore her bracelets as a shield. Diana tied one of the energy weapons. Using her strength, she yanked her from the ship. Martha used her hands to do the same. Together, the Amazons destroyed the enemy ships, while the Vigilante attacked the aliens ashore.

"It's working." Martha watched cheerfully.

Suddenly, there was an explosion. The ship broke apart, its fragments spreading. Martha and Diana tried to protect themselves, but the fragments did not reach them. Martha reached out, trying to catch something. The shards were falling apart, just like the aliens on earth. She frowned, thinking it was very strange. In a short time, only the heroes remained, and the crack diminished in size.

"That has to mean something."

Diana nodded, looking in the direction of the huge crack in the sky. On the other side, there was only emptiness. Already below them, with no sign of the creatures they faced. If it were not for the destruction, or the presence of the heroes, no one would say that a fight has taken place.

"It's clean. We are coming back."

* * *

Shayera turned her mace, freeing John from the Tanagarians who held his arms while Jason helped Lily and Wally ashore. Shayera smiled at her son, and they exchanged a knowing nod. However, her expression changed as she noticed the winged figure coming toward them.

It was like seeing a ghost. John turned, but did not have time to get rid of the blow. With the impact, he lost consciousness and fell. Shayera went to help him, yet the Tanagarian went to attack her too and she had to defend herself.

She lifted her mace, defending herself. She blinked a few times in front of the man in front of her. He wore the uniform of the Tanagarian army, and had dark hair and a huge scar on his face.

"Hro?" She asked in surprise.

"Jason!" Lily screamed as she punched the man holding her. "Help John!"

Jason nodded, and flew toward his falling friend. He managed to catch John before he hit the ground. Little by little, the boy regained consciousness.

"You know, if there's anyone I'd like to carry in my arms, it would be Lily, not you."

"Haha, you're not my summer dream, either." He paused. "I need to come back and help Mom."

"I know. I'll help others."

The guys broke up. Jason returned to help Lily and Wally while John flew to where Shayera was.

"Happy to see me, Shayera?" Hro questioned.

"It is not possible! You're dead!"

"Thank you, is not it?"

She lowered her mace, and closed her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want ..."

"Apologies don't change anything."

Hro lifted the ax, and advanced on it. Shayera defended herself from the blows, yet she could not attack him. Her chest was a mixture of confusion and guilt. She did not have the strength to attack her ex-fiancé. Already Hro, he came up with everything he had. Fury streaming across his face.

"There is no more us, Shayera." He said. "You did this to me, and now you're going to pay."

"I'm really sorry." She repeated.

"You'll pay for everything!"

He caught her hair, and slapped her face against his knee. Shayera was a little bewildered, and only watched as he turned the ax toward her. She could not escape. Shayera cringed, but did not feel the pain of the blow.

"Leave it to me, Mama."

Both Shayera and Hro looked in the direction of the voice. John was between Shayera and the man he knew only by name. He had a stern look while he kept Hro at bay. His arm was bleeding where the blade met her skin, but it held steady. Shayera blinked a few times, trying to understand. It was then that the plug of it fell. John stepped in front of her to protect her. Hro laughed.

"Who are you, boy?"

"John West!" He returned.

John was very proud of his name, and of his parents. Even knowing of the Tanager invasion and the participation of Shayera, he still loved and was very proud of his mother. And she would not let anyone hurt her.

John took the mace from Shayera's hands. He stepped into position, and the two began to fight. Downstairs, Jason, Lily, and Wally fought back from the attacks. The three of them were able to keep up, and at the moment, she was more worried about her son facing Hro.

The sound of metal against metal was present. This was not a common struggle. It was a duel of life and death. Both had a furious look, and someone would not leave alive. John spun his mace, and with all his might he threw himself at the enemy. He widened his eyes as the mace crossed Hro's chest.

He began to tremble, but then the villain's body fell apart in a bright cloud. Soon, the ships and other Tanagerians disappeared in the crack in the sky. Those who flew in heaven, as well as those on earth, disappeared. They all left, leaving the group confused. If it were not the signs of destruction, no one would believe there was a fight. Shayera hugged her son, who was still stunned.

"It's over, John, it's over." She smiled. "Thank you."

The five gathered shortly after. Shayera came out with John, and Flash was beside them, commenting on the "fun" day. Lily and Jason followed.

"Seeing Aunt Shay fighting reminded me because I'm afraid of her."

Lily laughed noisily.

"Mom never did anything to you, Jason."

"And she must have done something to make me afraid of her? She is scary when she fights."

The girl shook her head, still smiling.

"You are very stupid."

* * *

Honey helped the civilians to protect themselves, while Kira fought with some parademons. Shortly thereafter, the teleportation brought in Superman and J'onn for action.

"You all right?" Superman asked Honey. The blue-haired girl nodded. "I think this is yours."

She looked down, and saw Supernan holding something. With a smile, she took the gun from his hands. Her lightning gun. Now she could help. She ran to help Kira, while J'onn and Superman flew to the huge ship that covered the sky. Honey fired at one of the Parademons, and they vanished before her eyes.

"They're not real, Kira. Are some kind of illusion."

"What's going on?"

"It could be a distraction, or a sign."

"Sign for what?" For some reason, she did not want to know the answer.

"Something bigger to come."

Kira hit one of the creatures.

"I'm not happy with that theory."

"Not me." She pressed the communicator to her ear. "Uncle Clark, the ships are not real. None of this is real. They are only illusions."

Superman nodded. He stared at J'onn.

"Did you hear?"

The Martian nodded, and they surrounded the ship. Superman used his vision of heat, and the lightning split the ship. J'onn helped destroy what was left of the Parademons, just as the girls did. The wreckage was sucked back soon after. Honey looked around. There were people wounded, and much destruction. But they were alive. She smiled.

"I think we won."

Kira moaned, holding her head. She felt the power, and it was nothing human. It was bigger than anything she've ever felt. And it was coming to earth. Kira fell, and Honey ran to her.

"It's not over yet."

The girl said, holding her head. It was an unbearable pain. Too strong even for her. J'onn and Superman were coming toward the girls, worried. Batman's voice came through the communicator almost instantly.

"There is still something about Metropolis and ..."

He could not finish. The energy was felt all over the earth, almost like a massive wave. It was like an explosion. The electrical appliances went crazy. Poles flashed, cars fired the alarms. But as fast as it came, it was gone. Kira opened her eyes, and noticed Honey hugging her.

"You all right?"

"I feel that. The brainwaves ..." She turned to Honey. "Mr. Luthor?"

She stood and held out her hand. J'onn felt it too, and he mimicked the gesture of his daughter. The two of them took a few steps and stopped when they felt the energy field intensify.

J'onn and Kira found Luthor's body. Honey tried to run to her father but was stopped by Superman. The telepaths arrived in Luthor, and discovered that he was alive. His body was enveloped by a layer of light, and he floated a half-meter off the ground. J'onn tried to read his mind, but in vain.

"I can not get into his mind."

"Not me, Father." She returned. "That's weird."

"Let's get him to the tower." Superman concluded. "Let's find out what's going on."

J'onn gave his coordinates, and the teleportation guided them back to the tower. As the heroes were brought back, Batman sounded through the communicator, for all to hear.

"I invite the founders to a meeting. Chaos begins to settle ..."

 **Yeah, Luthor's back. He's going to be an important part here. In the next chapter, the answers will begin to appear ...**

 **Gratitude!**


	13. After the Battle

_**Chapter Thirteen - After the Battle**_

 **Ahhh, that does not have much action, but the answers begin to appear here.**

Little by little, the heroes returned to the watchtower. Those who stayed gathered around the teleportation, waiting for the others. J'onn, Honey and Kira took Luthor to the medical bay, while Superman went to meet Jason. He hugged Jason, making sure his son had no wounds. A few scratches on his face and arms, only shallow.

"What happened in Metropolis, Father?"

"I'm not sure, Jason. It was all very confusing."

"It was awkward in Central City, too."

"This is very weird." Flash said.

Jason and Superman turned to Flash. The speedster had half of the costume torn and looked as lost as they. Behind them were Shayera, John, and Lily.

"It was an ugly cut, dear." Shayera held John.

"All right, Mom. I'll take care of it myself."

"And I'll let you do your bandages?" She sounded worried, and John laughed. "Not at all! I'll take care of it myself."

Lily grunted.

"I always knew Mom loved you better, John!"

Shayera was not sure if the girl was serious, but she had her arms folded and pouting. With a smile, she let go of John. Then she hugged and kissed the girl's forehead. Lily smiled.

"Jealous!"

"I'm glad it's over for today." Jason sighed. "At the moment I just want to go home."

"Oh, I have to go to Dad's house sooner, Jason." Lily came out of Shayera's embrace. "My clothes are there."

"Where are you going, brat?"

"Jason called me to sleep at his house."

Lily and Jason gained interesting looks. Flash and Superman getting red.

"You're not going, not at all!" Flash hastened to say. "I know you're sweethearts, but my heart can not stand it. Daddy can not stand this emotion."

Superman thanked Flash mentally, because he wanted to say the same. Perhaps in the future he would be a slightly more liberal man, yet at that moment he was not prepared to deal with such matters.

"Daddy of the future leaves!" She complained. "I sleep almost every weekend in Metropolis."

"Only because he knows you've never done anything, Kiwi." John intervened. "And Mom always convinces him."

"No one will leave the tower tonight." Batman appeared, very serious. "We still need that meeting."

"I'll take care of my son first."

"Keep it brief."

"We'll meet in thirty minutes." Superman gave the final word. "Use this time to compose yourself."

* * *

"Ah!" John moaned. "That hurts, Mommy!"

Shayera stopped and looked up.

"I thought my son was stronger than that." She returned.

"It's not you that was sliced a few minutes ago." He paused. "So that was the famous commander, Hro Talak? Not that I want to intrude on your personal choices, but I'm glad you picked Daddy at the end."

Shayera laughed a little before returning to work on his wound.

"I don't consider Wally a great choice, but I'm surprised you know about Hro."

"It's in the history books." He said. "The whole thing about the Tanagarian invasion, including you."

She sighed and shook her head.

"I'm sorry. You must hate me for it."

John knew how much that still stirred her. When he knew the truth, he hated it at first. But his father made him understand the side of Shayera, and was very grateful for it. He had promised himself to take care of his mother, and had kept his promise. He laid his hand on her shoulder, forcing her to look up.

"You're the best mother we could ever want."

"Thank you." She smiled. "You're a great son, John. You and Lily. It almost makes up for me to have married Wally."

John laughed. In that part, his mother remained the same. His parents implied each other, and it was normal to see them arguing, but there was that exchange of glances, the purposeful touches and the smiles. Comparing her to her younger version, he may realize that the years alongside Wally have made her a less serious and happier woman. They were complete.

"You say the same thing every day."

"Ah, I suppose I do." She laughed. "We're done here. You'll be fine."

She kissed his cheek and left soon after. Martha passed Shayera as she stepped out of the medical bay.

"Hi, Aunt Shay." She smiled.

"Hi, cute. If you're looking for John, he ..."

"No, I'm not looking for John."

"Ah, I thought ... it does not matter. I'm going to the meeting room."

"I'm going too." She said. "I just have to do something first."

Shayera shrugged and left the girl. Martha took a second stop, but decided to go on her way. She stopped again when she saw John. The redhead came out of the medical bay and gave her a half-smile. She returned, but her eyes widened as she noticed the huge bandage on John's arm. Maybe he took some stitches, she thought.

"What happened to you?"

He shrugged.

"It was not as bad as it sounds. Mother herself checked."

"I know. Aunt Shay does not trust doctors as much as she trusts herself."

"Mother is super protective." He paused. "How are you?"

Martha shrugged. She was as broken as he or the others.

"I'm alive. That's what matters."

They stared at each other for a moment. It was still strange to have to talk and pretend nothing happened.

"I'm sorry for the other day." John started. "I know ..."

"I understand, John. I didn't want it to be that way, but I understand your motives. And as you say, if it's meant to be, someday it will be."

"I don't want you to spend your whole life waiting for me."

But she shook her head.

"Believe me, I'm not expecting you." She smiled at the boy's surprised look. "Let's say that maybe it's on my own solitary walk. Friends?"

"Always." He laughed. "We are worse than our parents."

"I agree."

The two of them hugged each other, smiling. Martha closed her eyes, sucking John's scent, trying to remember the moment. She knew it would not happen again anytime soon. Slowly, they moved away. John gave a half smile, thinking to say something else, but giving up. Then, he left.

Martha stood there, looking in the direction John followed, but jumped as a hand landed on her shoulder. She looked back and smiled. Batman.

"We're late for the meeting that I demanded."

"Oh, of course. I was going to look for you, Dad. Uncle J'onn didn't want to start the meeting without you."

"I understand, I am the man with the answers."

* * *

When Batman and Martha arrived in the conference room, the other founders and their children were reunited. All but Honey. The blue haired girl preferred to stay in Med Bay, next to Luthor. After all, he was still her father.

Batman took the chair that was meant for him, and Martha stood beside him. J'onn exchanged a slight nod with Batman and decided to start the much needed meeting.

"We face different enemies from the past." Jonn began.

"Yeah, but those things were not real." Kira said. "They were illusions, like a hologram, or something."

But Batman shook his head.

"I was not in the battle, though, I'm pretty sure those villains were nothing but puppets in the hands of the greater enemy. And, I'm afraid, that there is some fault in the fact."

Everyone present turned to Batman.

"How can it be your fault?" It was Diana.

"At that attack he communicated with me. To my luck, perhaps, my mind was not strong enough to support it. That's why I fainted. However, he still read my mind, and knows our enemies, our past, and all the information of my mind. I didn't understand at first, but when it became clear, I didn't have time to warn you of what would come. It's all I remember, though."

"This is all very confusing." Flash grunted.

"It's what he wants. A world of confusion and despair is his goal. It will come to the point of no longer distinguishing the past from the present and the future."

"Then you were on your mind." Superman said, trying to get to the point of the conversation. "What was that?"

"An entity, older than time itself."

"What is older than time?"

"Chaos." He replied.

Diana shuddered. She knew the legends. Chaos was not a simple cosmic entity. Chaos was the primary entity. It existed long before the universe.

"A god." Everyone turned to Diana. "Chaos is a god..."

 **Fuck, Chaos is a god! Yes, there is a god called Chaos in Greek mythology. He is one of the primordial gods, and I am going to make him here as a cosmic entity, but he can also become corporeal. Of course I used my free poetic to create a villain based on the myth. It will appear soon, soon. Thank you !**


	14. I'm Chaos, part I

_**Chapter Fourteen - I Am Chaos, Part I**_

 **Chaos, the first primordial god to emerge in the universe, therefore the oldest of the forms of divine consciousness. It represented the initial disorder of the world. Chaos represented at the same time an indefinite and disorganized form, where all elements were dispersed, and a rudimentary deity capable of generating ...**

A week has passed since battling with villains from various eras, and from the meeting where Batman confessed that Chaos was on his mind. Diana explained to the heroes about the god Chaos, one of the primordial gods. It already existed before the world was a world, that is, one of the most powerful and ancient things that ever was in the universe.

No one dared to doubt, considering the strange things of the last days. She just did not understand how he appeared in their world, after all, he was locked up for millennia.

At this time, despite their efforts, Luthor remained in a coma. It was still a mystery of his arrival, and everything related to his return. Strange was the life of the heroes of late. At least the last week has passed without temporal events. Even ordinary villains had paused.

"Physically there is nothing wrong." J'onn commented, analyzing the records. "I don't know why Luthor has not woken up yet."

Kira came over and frowned.

"There's something wrong with Mr. Luthor." She said, gaining the attention of J'onn and Superman. "His brainwaves are ... confusing ..."

Both men frowned. J'onn tried to read Luthor's mind several times, but it was in vain. A mighty force blocked him.

"I can't read his mind. How did you do it, Kira?"

"I have not read his mind, but I feel the waves emanating from him. Sometimes I can not control and unintentionally invade the telepathic field of people. I can only feel the waves it emits. They are ... strange ..."

The two men looked at each other. J'onn sent a telepathic message to Superman, and they both had similar suspicions. They just could not spread them at the moment.

"Well ..." He sighed. "There is not much else to do for now. I'm leaving."

Superman left shortly after, leaving J'onn and Kira finishing the exams. The door opened and Honey appeared.

"I came to see how my father was. Any change?"

J'onn denied it.

"Nothing. It's been the same for a week."

"It's strange, but I don't feel so sure about his presence here. I know I lived very little with my father, but it seems ... different ..."

Kira touched her shoulder.

"It's your father, Honey. It's normal for you to be worried."

But the girl shook her head.

"I don't know, no. That doesn't seem to be my father. I just feel it ... it could be his body, but it's not him ..."

* * *

Jason was pacing the alleyways, carrying a huge picnic basket.

"What are you going to do with it?" Honey was by your side.

He looked from the basket to the near-sister and smiled.

"A surprise for Li. Let's have a picnic in Metropolis."

The girl laughed.

"You and Uncle Clark love picnicking."

"It's the family charm. How do you think we got the girls?"

"I thought it was Kent's good-looking style. But since that's how it is, I think I'll take the idea."

Jason shook his head, smiling.

"Please do not. We've got too many girls following you."

"What can I do? They like my blue hair."

"Yeah ... but anyway, if you want to come with us, you know, to put your head in place. I'm sure Li doesn't care."

"My head is still in place, Jason." She returned.

"You haven't left the tower in a week. You're always in the med bay or fixing something."

"Fixing is my way of relaxing. This story with my father is stressing me, and I don't know what to do when he wakes up, if he wakes up ..."

Honey sighed, exchanging the amused mask for her real look of concern. Jason stopped walking and touched the girl's shoulder.

"No one here judges you. We're just worried."

"I know my father did bad things before I was born. No wonder they're afraid of him here. Nor do I feel comfortable near him."

Jason knew how much touching Luthor's name still bothered Honey. The girl felt the weight that came with her last name, still treated with fear, even in their time. He put his hand on her shoulder.

"We're all here for you, Honey. When you want to open it, anyone would be happy to hear you."

"I will remember." She smiled. "Now you'd better hurry or you'll miss the date."

"And Li arrives on time?"

"I know not."

"Good luck." He left.

"Thank you, brother."

* * *

The sound of Florence and the machine played in the largest volume in Shayera's room. She rubbed her temples as she waited for Lily to leave the bathroom. The girl appeared shortly afterwards, wearing jeans and a black tank top.

"Lipstick or not?" She gestured.

Shayera looked up and shrugged.

"I'm not the type who understands clothes or make-up."

"I know, I just like your company. After all, you are or will be my mom."

"I like you too, brat." She smiled. "Lipstick."

"The red one?" Lily opened a big, genuine smile, to which Shayera just shook her head.

"The red one."

She looked at herself in the mirror.

"I think I'm ready."

"Good." Shayera rose to her feet. "Can I turn off this song? I don't want someone to show up here thinking we're in the middle of a party."

The girl nodded and turned off the sound. Shayera let out a sigh of relief, earning a laugh from her daughter. The two of them hugged each other and smiled. Together, they left the room.

* * *

"You need to cut off that hair, boy."

John laughed and ran his hands through the red, misaligned strands.

"Mommy gave up some good years ago. She said I wasn't a girl to have long hair, but I always liked it that way. It matches my rocker style." He joked.

John Stewart definitely liked that boy. He felt a familiarity, almost the same as he felt for Rex. Although in another reality his fate was different, he also liked this version. And he was glad Shayera had a chance to be happy, even with another man. The truth was that he felt more affection for Shayera than love.

He laughed, following the boy.

"It seens that you make your parents crazy."

"Not as much as before. I think my parents prefer my old self, even though it is more difficult."

"I love Flash and Shayera, and I think they know what's best for you."

"Mommy and daddy love you too. They always said that you are their best friend, so I was named after you. Things got a bit confusing last year because of me and Rex, but you are still pretty friends. I feel for all of this sometimes."

John let out a heavy sigh, but shrugged.

"What's the matter with you?"

"Long story, Uncle John." He paused. "I think I'd better go."

John Stewart looked in the direction the boy was looking seconds ago, and saw Rex approaching as John walked away.

"I won't even ask." He said when Rex was by his side.

"Better. I don't really like to talk about it."

John touched his son's shoulder and bent down to meet his eyes. He was understanding even though Rex looked away from him.

"That bad feeling won't do you good, Rex. And also, there will come a time when you will need each other, and those differences will have to be set aside."

"I hope this day never comes."

* * *

"Late." Jason complained as he saw Lily running toward him. "Why do I still try?"

"Because you love me." She kissed him. "Let's go?"

"Yes, Li."

Flash shook his head. On the other side, he watched the kids disappear into teleportation.

"I think she's too young to date. I don't like it."

Superman stopped on his way to watch the speedster's stunned expression.

"They really seem to like each other." He asked. "And also, we can't interfere with their lives. We don't know them as much as we would like."

The speedster let out a very frustrated sigh.

"If Shay were not so pretty, our children would not be pretty. Then I would have no reason to worry."

The man of steel shook his head, trying not to smile at his friend's theories.

"Don't worry so much. I have to go now, but good luck."

* * *

J'onn stopped writing. Kira rubbed her temples every now and then, as if her head were throbbing. Although the girl insisted she was fine, he knew she was not. Now, seeing his daughter kneeling, he was sure that what was coming to them was no good. He ran to her, kneeling beside her.

"Kira, what is it?"

The girl opened her eyes and pointed to Luthor's unconscious form.

"Chaos. He is coming."

The two looked at each other, but they did not have much time to think. Strange energy seized the place, and it was heavy. Both telepaths felt the electric current through the air, and now they knew where it came from. J'onn only had time to throw himself on Kira, protecting the girl from what would follow.

Superman walked toward the med bay. He heard the explosion and protected himself the best he could. In the bay, he found Kira and J'onn fallen. Kira opened her eyes, and stepped out of J'onn's protective embrace. Superman helped her up.

They both heard the laughter, and then they noticed the figure with its back to them. He was a bald man, tidying up the wrists of his tuxedo. He turned. Their eyes did not believe what they saw.

"Luthor?" Superman questioned.

"That may be his body, but it's not Mr. Luthor."

"Exactly. But I think I can show by myself."

He held out his hand, and a beam of energy trapped Superman and Kira against the wall. J'onn began to wake up and threw himself at the man. However, it was thrown on the opposite wall like a simple toy.

"What are you?"

"You still did not notice? I am Chaos."

* * *

The alarms suddenly sounded insane. The heroes rushed to the monitors.

"Another anomaly? Where? "

Mr. Terrific nodded, very worried. He looked at the heroes around him. Then they heard the explosion.

"At the watchtower."


	15. I'm Chaos, part II

_**Chapter Fifteen - I Am Chaos, Part II**_

The tower suddenly became crazy. The heroes tried to prepare the best they could when they heard the explosion. Alarms still ringed in their ears, and they had no idea what lay ahead.

Honey was the first to arrive at the med bay. She saw her friends still trapped, and, with astonishment, the figure of Luthor in the middle of the room. He smiled, and it was not good.

"Honey!" Kira shouted. "That's not your father!"

The blue-haired girl nodded and lifted her lightning gun at him. Her foreboding was right. From the first moment she laid eyes on him, she knew he was not her father.

She looked, and waited, but she could not shoot. Even if it was not her father, it was still his body. And if Luthor died, she would never be born. So she still needed him. Chaos laughed at the girl's hesitation.

"You're weak!" He said.

"I'm not weak!" She shouted and fired.

The thunderbolt left in the direction of Chaos. He did not move, and he was hit hard. Honey waited, believing he had been defeated. But the voice came, and a flash of light came back to her. The girl closed her eyes and cringed.

She heard the crash. But she was fine, and someone was carrying her. Flash's smiling face looked at her. He blinked and put her back on the floor.

"It's the first time you're on time, Uncle Flash. And thank you."

"We should get out of here."

"What about the others?" She reminded him. Kira, J'onn and Superman were still in medical bay, along with Chaos.

"You want to fight that thing alone?"

Honey did not have much time to think, as Chaos came out from within the medical bay. He was coming slowly, as if there was no hurry. The three heroes arrested under the unusual force were released. They were all down. Little by little, they were getting up at the same time that they realized that this was just the beginning.

* * *

Jason flew with Lily to Metropolis. Since they arrived in that reality, with so much confusion they had no time enough together and he was missing her. They were in a park. Jason spread the towel on the grass and they settled. Some people were around, just walking around and enjoying the day. It was good to have a little bit of normalcy.

"It was my father's idea." He said. "But we can do something else if you want ..."

"It's great, Jason. You know, if you have food, I will."

He laughed.

"You're going to bankrupt me someday because of food."

"Hm, so I'll reconsider and look for a boyfriend with more money."

"What? No! Don't talk that, please."

Lily laughed at his boyfriend's worried expression, but suddenly he was serious. He frowned and raised his hand to the commic link.

"What is it, Jason?" She said, confused.

"I thought I heard something. Jason for watchtower." He called and waited, unanswered. "There's something wrong. Listen."

Lily obeyed and placed her attention on the commic. Just squeaks and buzzing. She stared at her boyfriend, not understanding.

"I don't hear anything."

"That's what's wrong. We need to go back ..."

* * *

While Kira, J'onn and Superman stood up Batman joined the action. He threw his batrangs in the direction of Chaos. The villain was hit, and the batrangs exploded, but Chaos suffered nothing. He raised his hand and Batman was caught against the wall. He approached the hero, immobilized.

"I'm a god. Do you think these things could stop me?"

But Batman just smiled. Chaos turned in time to see J'onn and Superman coming over him. With a cynical smile, he shook his head.

"Humans. They never learn."

His laughter echoed through the room, and with more speed than any of them dreamed of, he disappeared in front of his eyes. Superman and J'onn stopped, a few inches from Batman's face. Batman blinked, perplexed. His heart racing for what could happen. The men looked around.

"Are you okay?" Kira asked Honey and Flash.

Without giving her friends time to respond, Chaos appeared behind them, and cupped his hands in Kira's ears. The next second she went to the floor. Flash turned quickly, and tried to punch the creature, but Chaos grabbed his hand. With his superhuman strength, he threw him against the wall. Honey, scared, pointed her gun and took a few steps back.

Then, she felt a hand on her shoulder, and Batman pushed her away. Superman and J'onn surrounded the villain, while a still stunned Flash joined them. The heroes stood in a fighting position, ready to attack.

Both hands of Chaos began to shine. With a single movement of him, a wave of energy took possession of the place. The wave, massive and intense, knocked down the heroes. Batman fell on Honey, unconscious. Little by little the girl managed to open her eyes. She had no idea how much time had passed. She only saw Chaos pull away, not caring about their presence. Honey looked from the villain to the other fallen heroes. They were all unconscious.

With difficulty, she left and approached Batman. She shook his shoulders.

"Uncle Bruce ..." she called, unanswered. Then she raised her hand to the communicator. "He's in Luthor's body. Don't let him leave the tower."

The message spread through the loudspeakers, reaching everyone in the tower. Lily and Jason arrived, and watched as the heroes prepare for battle. They were an army, but no one gave the victory as guaranteed, after all, they faced what should be a god.

They put themselves on guard, while Chaos went out into the main hall. He lifted his hands, and from the ground, black forms sprouted. These forms, little by little, were shaping, transforming. Such black forms have taken shape, becoming copies of his image. Chaos lifted a hand to his chin, as if thinking.

"I can do better than that!"

With a simple gesture, his copies reshaped. Some got together and grew up. Then there were gigantic and dreadful creatures. They had scales all over, huge claws, and many red eyes. From their gaping mouths, sharp teeth protruded outward.

They roared, and the noise echoed throughout the tower and beyond, shivering those who heard their cry, and the world beneath their feet.

"What are these things?" A voice sounded the question in everyone's mind.

"My babies." He said.

Under his command, the creatures growled again before settling into the attack.

 **I'll try to bring Part 3 soon.**

 **Gratitude!**


	16. I'm Chaos, part III

_**Chapter Sixteen - I Am Chaos, Part III**_

 **Hi guys, I'm back !**

The heroes did not know if they used their energy to stop Chaos, or if they faced those monstrous creatures. However, when those things came to attack them, any doubt was dispelled. First of all, they had to fight for their lives.

The creatures attacked the heroes. They scaly skin was hard, almost impenetrable. Vigilante unloaded his revolver in one of them. No effect. The creature kept coming toward him. Soon the Green Arrow was at his side, firing his arrows. When he took the last arrow, he realized that there was no way out.

However, only a few meters away, the creature stirred, and his body split in two and fell. Vigilante and Arrow looked at each other, not understanding, but then the Knight's voice reached them. They looked toward the sound, and saw the Shining Knight coming toward them.

He stopped, frowned. There was something slim beneath his feet. Soon he realized that he was treading on a pool of blood. It was not red, it was brown, almost fetid. The blood began to bubble, and a scaly hand appeared. Then, others. Before one of them could suspect what was happening, new creatures emerged from the midst of the blood.

The Knight's eyes widened as he felt a scaly hand gripping his leg. With a superhuman strength, he was erected, at the same time the creatures were complete. In the blink of an eye, he was thrown against the wall. Arrow aimed his last arrow, but another of the creatures raised his arm and, with a single movement, threw him away.

* * *

In another corner of the tower, Zatanna tried a spell, while Black Canary used her sonic cry. They even managed to delay the monsters, but stopping them seemed impossible. Canary was voiceless, so she tried to punch the creature. It was like hitting concrete. It lifted it claws, and hit her full. The blonde flew a few feet, and fell unconscious.

The monster roared and sauntered over to Zatanna, but a green ray enveloped it, stopping it in the process. Woring its claws, it try to destroy the blockade. Green Lantern knew his power ring would not hold for long.

As expected, the creature broke the lock. It jumped out, with a guttural sound of shaking the walls. Diana flew toward it. She held the big mouth full of teeth with her hands. With all her might, she pushed each part of the creature's jaw to different sides, tearing it apart in two. She threw the lifeless body to the ground, away from them. She stared at the heroes.

"Are you okay?"

"Does anyone know what this is?"

"It's all over the tower. We need..."

They heard a growl. From the blood that spilled across the floor, a scale appeared, then a hand full of claws. That was not the end. It had barely begun.

* * *

Chaos was at the center of everything, noticing the damage he had done to the watchtower. Those were the greatest heroes of the time and they succumbed under his power.

Jason dug his way through the creatures, with Lily behind him. Even though he was Superman's son, those things were too strong. Lily was using her hyper speed to get some distraction, but any effort seemed to be in vain.

At one point, the girl noticed the figure of Luthor standing in the middle of the tower, just watching with a satisfied expression. Somehow she knew he was responsible for the mess.

"Jason!" Lily cried out. "Hold him for me!"

Jason looked in the direction the girl pointed, and nodded. He got rid of the things with which he fought and flew toward Chaos as Lily ran to him.

Entertained with the amusement that was to see the whole justice league in trouble, he did not notice the first punch. Jason hit him in the face. Chaos staggered, surprised by the blow, but soon regained his posture. He was a god and did not tremble easily. Jason tried to hit him again, but it was a difficult task. Almost impossible.

"Hurry up, Li! I won't hold him for so long!"

Lily knew what to do. With a wave, she took a few steps back and started running in the opposite direction, as fast as she could, the fastest she ever tried to run. She felt her body quicken, and her muscles stung with the risky maneuver.

She made a full turn in the tower, accelerating in every corner, trying to get over it. As she left again in the main hall, she met with Chaos crushing her boyfriend to the floor. She tried to run even faster, and in a few moments, she managed to hit him. She heard the god shout, and looked back, but kept running.

Chaos felt an unusual pain and brought his hand to his forehead. It was impossible! There was a small shiny crack in his forehead. His shell was broken. He would not resist the successive blows of the speedster girl. So he must stop her.

Lily was coming toward him again, even faster than the first time. It would be an ugly scam if she could hit him. But she did not. He waited, and when Lily was close enough, he took her by the throat and lifted her. The girl's eyes widened, she did not expect it.

Lily felt the air go away as he tightened his grip on her neck. She wrapped both hands around her neck, trying to break free. She felt her strength leave as her body softened and her eyes closed. The last thing she heard was the shot, before almost fell to the ground. Almost, because she felt a familiar hug around her.

"It's going to be okay, Li." Jason kissed her forehead before pulling her into the corner.

The girl just moaned, keeping her eyes closed, along with the boyfriend's embrace. Jason watched as the lightning bolt struck Chaos. They both turned in the direction, and Honey was there. The blue-haired girl was holding her lightning weapon in all its power.

"I may die, but you won't win! Not today, not ever!"

"Fool! I am infinite power."

In the blink of an eye, he was in front of her. But he did not move, at least Honey did not see him coming. Frightened, she looked down and all she saw was that hand crossing her chest. She felt a strange tightness, and it was like having a black hole in the place of the heart, sucking her to the center of herself. It was as if she imploded. It was her end and she knew it.

* * *

John did not know if the blood in his hands was his or the creature with which he fought. Most likely it was his. He was very strong, but it was hard to keep that mouth full of teeth away from his head. The redhead was down, with that thing pressing him to the floor.

A green ray split that creature in two. Each of his halves fell on either side of John. He was ready to thank his Uncle John, or even Rex, however, it was another person who hovered over him. Even breathing hard, he managed to draw his strength to smile.

"You're an angel, aren't you?" John asked, as Martha bent over him. She was in her Amazons uniform, and she held a heavy sword in her right hand.

"Sometimes, and you? A demon?"

With Martha's help, John got to his feet. They exchanged a knowing look, but the mood was broken when they heard Rex cough. The couple stared at the young man in his Green Lantern uniform.

"This is very cool, but ... look ..."

Both Martha and John obeyed, and saw the brown blood move, forming scales, then claws. It was not long before the boys understood what was going on. Without thinking, they set to run. They ran a few yards, and soon found themselves in a part of the tower that looked quite destroyed. They looked around and it was not hard to find out that it was where it all began. The med bay.

Kira helped her father stand up, while Superman helped Batman and Flash to their feet. Martha ran to help her father, and John did the same, going to Flash.

"Are you okay?" The heroes nodded. Though stunned, they were fine. "What happened here?"

"It's a very long story, but to shorten it, Chaos is using Luthor's body."

They heard snarls, and John, Martha, and Rex knew that creatures were following them. Or other heroes there, still had no knowledge of the things attacking the tower.

"What was that noise? Oh, don't answer."

A louder growl made itself present, and the dark shadows soon projected into what remained of the walls. A scaly hand appeared, then the creatures came. Batman raised his gun to shoot, but Martha took his hand. He asked her daughter quietly, to which she replied.

"They are demons. From every drop of they blood, other things are born."

"Guys, I don't know about you, but I don't want to be here."

None of them wanted to be there. They set off again, with Rex and Batman a little further behind, trying to delay the creatures. Fighting them at the moment seemed impossible. After all, when one fell, more appeared in its place. The group soon encountered the main hall. There, they saw the chaos installed in the tower. It was a jumble of snarls, screams, and destruction everywhere.

Superman saw Chaos holding Honey in a strange way. He also saw Jason, torn between battling a creature approaching Lily's unconscious form, and finding a way to free her foster sister. Without thinking twice, he flew toward them.

Chaos dropped Honey to be able to intercept Superman. The blue-haired girl fell, feeling the strange surge of energy flow through her chest. Her heart was pounding with the strange invasion, and suddenly it was as if she could not breathe. She raised the hand to her chest, seeking air in vain.

"Honey!" Kira shouted, then flew to her friend.

Flash also ran, but to get his daughter out of the middle of the battle. He was next to her, and he took Lily in his arms. His desire was to take her to a safe place, yet there was no such thing in the tower at the moment. Lily opened her eyes with a groan. She realized she was in her father's lap.

"What happened?"

"I don't know, but Daddy will get you out of here, okay?"

"No!" Said firmly. "I want to help."

Even reluctantly, he put the girl on the floor. Lily staggered a little, but she managed to stand. As Superman and J'onn fought Chaos, the others faced the creatures. Already Kira, oblivious to the chaos around, knelt before Honey. She pressed her ear to her friend's chest and realized that she did not breathe, nor did she have a pulse.

"Honey! Wake up!"

She hit Honey's chest. One, twice. Anything. Kira started resuscitation procedures, intercalating mouth-to-mouth breathing and cardiac massage. After what seemed an eternity, Honey took a deep breath. She coughed, and felt her chest burning. She looked at her Martian friend.

"You're making come true an old dream of mine, Kira." She whispered with difficulty. It was her last words before she lost consciousness again.

"Naughty ..." Kira managed to smile. She was sure Honey would be all fine.

She heard a growl and knew she needed to get back into action. She stood up, joining her friends. Martha swung her sword, but instead of hitting the creature with the blade, she used the handle of the sword. They had to find a way to defeat those things without taking blood from them.

She looked at friends. Everyone had their hands full. Rex held a shield as he received successive blows of claws and teeth. John tried a few punches on a creature, but he could not. Kira, Jason and Batman fought, Flash and Lily helped the wounded heroes out of the battlefield.

Superman left the wall against which he was thrown, soon joining J'onn, who was fighting Chaos. Then, Martha noticed the strangeness about Luthor's body. There was a bright spot on his forehead. The light seemed to hide a crack, and increased in size when Superman or J'onn managed to hit him.

"Did you see?" Martha said, earning the attention of her friends. "He has a crack in the forehead."

Rex and John, who were close to her, stopped and looked. The Amazon was right.

"You're amazing, Martha! I think I know how we can beat him. If we survive, I'll pay you an ice cream."

"I could think of another way for you to thank me, but I think you'd turn it down."

John swallowed at the same time as he blushed at the insinuation of those words. This was not the time to get carried away by feelings. He needed to focus on the mission.

"Fire!" He said. "We need fire!"

"Do you think a fire will stop a god?" Rex asked.

"Fire is for devils. I have other plans for him. Come with me."

"Wait!" Martha called, and approached John. She placed a quick seal on his lips. At the stunned expression of the boy, she added. "Just in case."

John blinked and shook his head.

"We have to go ..."

Both Martha and Rex nodded, and followed John, no matter where he went. If he could help, they would follow him without thinking.

* * *

Shayera wiped the blood from her face. The redhead was standing over one of the scaly monsters, or what was left of it. With the help of her mace, she reduced it to a pool of brown blood. A perplexed Terry blinked, and she saw the boy's discomfiture, even under the mask of Batman.

"What?" She stared at him.

"Now I understand why Jason is so afraid of you. You're really scary with this thing in your hands."

"Haha. You..."

She felt something move beneath her. Then the scaly hand gripped her back, and threw her against the wall. She was pinned against by a thirsty creature, its mouth wide open. It bit off one of her wings, and drew some feathers with its huge mouth. The redhead cried out in pain, as her feathers were plucked. The white feathers fell around them, and Terry threw his batrangs, which exploded on the back of the thing.

"Mom!"

They heard a scream, and a green ray freed her. Rex trapped the creature in a green force field. Shayera slipped to the floor, and John was next to her. He touched her face.

"Are you ok, Mom?"

"Yes, yes. Thank you, guys."

"I need your mace." He asked after checking her.

Shayera stared at him. She tried to assimilate that words, while wondering if she should give her gun to her son.

"I don't know, John. What do you intend?"

"I have a plan. Trust in me?"

She trusted in John. No matter what it was, she trusted him. With a sigh of surrender, she handed him the mace.

"We have to go." Rex's voice brought them back to reality. It was hard to contain the monsters. "On Three. One..."

They did not wait for the count. They ran back down the path where Rex and John came, leaving like this, after a long run, back in the main hall. Arriving there, they saw Chaos holding Superman by the neck. Rex threw a green beam of light onto the villain, and in surprise, he released Superman.

The villain stared at the group. At John's request, Shayera and Terry helped Superman and J'onn to move away. Rex and John surrounded Chaos. Rex was prepared for a fight, but John seemed calmer. He turned to Rex.

"When Martha comes back, you know what to do."

The boy shook his head, and flew to the highest point he could. From there, he had a good view of the place, and he could see Martha coming up.

"Better go while you still have time." Chaos advised.

John took a few steps forward.

"There's only one person in the world who I listen to: Mom."

Chaos laughed.

"And if I said that your mother lied your whole life? You weren't to be born."

The redhead stopped. The words disconcerted him for a moment, but then he regained his composure. He turned the mace and threw himself upon the villain. With the urge of his wings, he flew over him. He hit him squarely, right on top of the crack. Then again, and again. He was tired of fighting, everyone was. However, he drew strength from within, and gave his all in a sure final blow.

He heard a noise, as if something cracked. His eyes met Chaos's, and it was not hard to see that the sound came from the villain. His body began to crack. And he screamed. From the cracks, bright spots appeared. They got bigger and bigger. John covered his eyes with his arm, or would be blinded with such a large amount of light. He had no idea what hit him, just was thrown against the wall. He did not lose consciousness, but he felt the world go round for a moment.

His vision turned dark, then blinked a few times, trying to break the black spots before his eyes. When he can see again, he realized that Chaos was no longer in front of him. With a winning smile, he turned on the commic link.

"Martha! Where are you?"

"We're coming, John!"

He barely finished speaking, and a bright green flame landed in the center of the room. Fire flared around Fire, and the heroine soon burned the place. Rex used the power of his ring to contain the fire, leaving inside only the creatures.

There followed agonized and growling cries, as well as the attempt of escape of the monsters. John Stewart joined in support of his son, and they both contained the whole fire. It took an eternity, and Fire intensified the surrounding green flames to the point that it was impossible for the green lanterns to contain the power.

The blockade gradually faded. The fire grew, but then it faded. The heroes looked around. Just ashes, the stench of burned flesh and a hero fallen in the midst of confusion.

Fire opened her eyes and was helped to her feet. She, like the other heroes, blinked, stunned, and looked around. It took some time yet, they realized that it was over. They won, at least for now. But in a way, everyone knew that it was just the beginning of something much worse yet to come.

 **And again, the day was saved...**

 **That was very hard to write! The next chapters will be quieter, a moment to breathe. I need to catch my breath here!**

 **I hope it's been good, I've worked hard for it.**

 **Gratitude!**


	17. On The Way To Rest

**Chapter Seventeen - On the way to rest**

As Batman passed on the information of the last battle, he heard sighs and grunts. Looking around, he realized that few people actually heard him. This was about John Stewart, Superman and J'onn, who even tired, tried to pay attention. Honey was in the med bay, so Kira went with her, just to check on her friend.

Terry, still in his Batman uniform, slept on the boardroom table. Martha and Diana were standing, and the girl hugged her mother, almost asleep. Both Jason and John looked exhausted. Lily was in Shayera's chair, but hugging her mother's waist as she smoothed the girl's hair. Rex tried not to sleep seated while John Stewart had his hands on the back of his chair.

Everyone was exhausted, their clothes torn and full of cuts and bruises. With a sigh, Batman also surrendered.

"Meeting adjourned. You can leave ..."

He could not remember hearing so many sighs relieved at once. More than quickly, everyone was ready to leave.

"As active members of the Justice League, you should be a bit more resilient."

"Actually, only Rex and John are active members." Martha approached Batman along with Diana. "The rest are still in training, which includes me. Jason and Terry will be activated later this year. I should be with them, but I don't feel ready..."

"I understand." And he really did. Martha told him a few things about her first missions, and the rest he deduced for himself. "You're a good girl, Martha."

"Thank you, Father. Perhaps you should invite my mother to join us for dinner." She risked. Batman gave a half smile to the future women of his life.

"Maybe ..."

Martha returned the smile of her father and decided to leave them alone. She walked over to where John was, apparently exchanging a few words with Rex, and she approached just in case her friend needed help. Then she took some of the conversation.

"That earlier ..." It was Rex. "It was cool ... even if I were in your shadow ..."

John shrugged. Martha was by their side and put her hand on John's shoulder.

"No one stood in the shadow of anyone. We wouldn't win alone ..."

"I don't think so." He paused. "I have to go."

Rex left soon after. John turned to his friend and smiled.

"It's the second time in this reality that he talks to me without trying to offend me. It's impressive."

"It's really impressive that you two don't get along, but still, when you work together, you're always excellent." Martha remarked.

"We were friends before the Katy episode."

"Yeah, this Katy messed up a lot of people's lives."

"I got my turn." He paused and looked at her. "I'm sorry for everything, Martha."

"I was already a mess, John. You didn't ruin much."

"But I didn't fix anything." He returned.

"Let's not talk about that, shall we? I, ah ... I need to go ..."

Then, he watched her leave, too fast. He also left, but in the other direction. Jason stood in the doorway, after all the other heroes had sought a way out. Everyone else, but one. He stopped, and looked at his girlfriend, still sitting in Shayera's chair.

it was rare to see lily very quiet. And in all of them, it was not good. He walked over to her, and sat down beside her. He hugged her, and the girl returned with a smile.

"I know this expression. What is it, Li?"

The redhead shrugged.

"I know heroes die in battle, and I thought my time had come. I'm scared!"

"It is normal to feel fear. It would be strange if you didn't it."

Lily turned her head, staring at some spot on the floor.

"I know, but ... I thought I was going to die, without actually seeing my parents, or without being able to say goodbye."

Jason kissed the top of her head.

"I'm glad you were wrong. We still have a lot to do together, remember? Roadtrip in South America, college and the best ... wedding ..."

For a moment, she remembered all the plans they made together. She even imagined herself being photographed by Jason in the landscapes they were going to spend some day in. Also, though less often, she imagined them at a alternative wedding on the beach. She was so lucky Jason forgiven her for her childish mistakes. She could not imagine a life without him.

"Do you think I'm worth it?" She stared at her boyfriend. Jason hugged her tighter.

"A lot…"

* * *

Diana came into her own room and smiled at the familiar presence. At least in recent times his presence had become familiar. Batman, looking out, turned toward the Amazon princess shortly after the door closed. She moved closer to him.

"Have you been waiting for me for a long time?" She asked.

"Not much." He paused. "How about dinner at my house? Martha was right, I should call you more often to have dinner with us."

"I'd love to, Bruce. I waited all week for an invitation."

"And I've waited all week for an excuse to invite you in without arousing suspicion."

"Hmm, of course ... no relationship for Batman ..."

Her tone seemed a little disappointed, so Batman removed his mask.

"I don't want to rush it, you know."

"I know, still ..."

Diana let out a heavy sigh and turned away. Although she wished it were different, she was beginning to believe that Batman would never change. He stepped up to her and took her shoulders. Diana closed her eyes, feeling his warmth against her.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. "I really want your presence with us tonight."

His voice sounded so inviting and she could not stay angry for long. So she turned to him. In the next instant her lips met his, soft and gentle, but also hungry. There was a hunger rising in her chest, a feeling she could only soften when she was with him. To Diana, those little moments of hidden relationship made all the rest worth it. She was in love, just hoping to be matched by him.

Even if it were good to continue, a part of his mind remembered keeping up appearances, and he should not be long in Diana's room, even though he wanted to. Gentle, he parted from her with a half smile.

"I'll wait for you on teleport."

Diana nodded with a smile. The moment Batman left, she hurried to get ready. She did not want to be late for dinner, or to find the man of her life ...

* * *

Shayera moaned a little as she unwound herself from the towel after a well-deserved hot shower. She turned, trying to see the damage. In the mirror, she saw a cut on her back, but that was not what worried her most. There were a few feathers left in her right wing, and she could not fly for the next few days. At least it was not broken, but she would feel incomplete in the same way. It was as important to her as breathing.

She let out a heavy sigh as the door opened. Wally was there, dressed in casual clothes and with a smile on his face. He saw her standing, watching herself in the mirror.

"Hey, Shay! I go..."

The redhead screamed, and pressed the towel against her body. Just then he realized she was not dressed. Shayera tried to cover herself, however, he still had a good glimpse of her legs, and saw the curve of her breasts a little. Wally blushed at the same time he had his back to her.

"I didn't see anything!" He hastened to say.

"Are you crazy? Don't know how to knock?"

"How would I know you were naked?" He paused. "I thought I'd call you to sleep in my house. It was a difficult day and I thought that you'd like to spend the night with us. No pressure, of course."

Shayera hurriedly dressed in some jeans and a blouse. She moaned a little as she dressed, which made Wally glance over at her. He turned completely when he realized she was dressed.

"I'm all aching, Wally." She sounded really tired. "I just want the comfort of my bed."

"Right, I understand. Really hurts?"

She shrugged. She was accustomed to pain, both physical and emotional. It took years to convince herself how strong she was, and it was rare now that the opposite was true.

"My biggest worry is these fears missing." She pointed out.

She turned around a little so he could see. Wally studied her wings. Some feathers were plucked, others were out of place. He was not on time, but he imagined it must have hurt. Shayera seemed frustrated by the plucked feathers. He then gave her a half smile and tried to cheer her up.

"Ah, your wings are still beautiful."

"I can't fly without them, Wally." She explained. "You cut the feathers of a bird when you don't want it to fly."

"They'll grow up again, right?"

"In a few weeks. Until then..."

She let out a sad sigh. He reached for the defective wing and stared at her.

"Can I…?"

Even reluctantly, she nodded. Wally took her wing, and gently began to massage it. He would thrust his fingers through the feathers, straightening those out of place, and removing any foreign material between them. He was going slowly, and he seemed focused on the task.

Despite feeling some discomfort, it was good to have Wally's hands working on her wings. Near the place where the feathers were torn, she felt his hands. It hurt a little, but it was nice enough to have his fingers there. Shayera closed her eyes and sighed. Immediately he stopped and looked up. He still held the wing, but he let go of it.

"I'm sorry I hurt you, Shay. It was not my intention."

She turned to him.

"It's ok. You didn't do anything."

The redheads stared at each other for a moment. It was weird. Wally felt as if he should bend over and kiss her, but he was afraid of her reaction. Shayera had a similar feeling in her chest. She wanted to, but she kept standing still. He scratched his head.

"We'll be leaving soon if you change your mind."

Wally stood in the doorway, thinking of saying something else, still giving up. He left shortly after, leaving Shayera alone. When she was alone, the redhead did not stop to think. She put on her shoes and did not even bother checking the look. She did not know what was wrong with her. She ran outside, hoping Wally and their children would still be in the tower.

* * *

"Do you have an event for the night?"

Vixen turned to her boyfriend with a tired smile. With her hands, she indicated her own figure.

"In this state, I wouldn't leave the house. Look at me!"

John Stewart looked. The woman had her fantasy torn in several places, and bruises and cuts on her face and body. She was destroyed, and he did not feel much better. He was too tired from the fight, and only wanted the comfort of his house. But then he remembered that Vixen and Rex should feel the same way. So he decided to end that day as a family.

Although he was not very present thanks to the last events, after that attack, John decided to become a different one. He would be a good father to Rex, even though the boy was not yet his son, and a better companion to Vixen. If he had plans to marry her someday, he should revisit his concepts better.

"I've already talked to Rex, now I've come to give you the same invitation. I'm not sure, we should just stay in the family. If you want, of course."

She blinked a few times. John walked away from her, and she even thought her relationship would be over. The invitation was a pleasant surprise. With a smile, she threw herself into his arms.

"Of course I do. All I want at the moment is a quiet night, and with my family better. I just need to change ..."

Vixen kissed him quickly and soon walked towards the bathroom. She did not want to take too long. Then she came back, wearing a long floral dress and a green jacket.

"You look beautiful, Mari." He said and hugged her. Soon they would go out together, to enjoy the night as a family.

* * *

It looked a bit like the first days they arrived in that reality, where they and their parents had family dinners to get to know each other better. They were all gathered on the teleport, waiting for their respective families. Almost everyone was there, except for Honey, who was in the med bay, and J'onn, who was monitoring the girl.

"We're going to stay in the tower because of Honey, but the rest are out for the rest of the day." Superman snapped, hugging his son.

"I'll stay, too." Kira said. "I want to see if Honey is better ..."

"I'll be with Martha and Terry for the night." Diana said, hugging her daughter, as they waited for Terry and Batman to arrive. "We go to Bruce's house."

"We're going to sleep at Daddy's." Lily said.

"Mi casa is tu casa." They laughed at the Flash's fake Spanish accent.

"I think I'll go with you." Shayera appeared, not quite sure what she was doing. "What? I want to take care of my children."

The present heroes seemed genuinely surprised by her statement. But John and Lily looked at her hopefully. They hugged her, grateful for her to accompany them. Still in her arms, Shayera glanced at Wally and they exchanged a knowing smile. Silent, he wanted to say "thank you." She rolled her eyes, but she smiled too.

"Let's go, brats?"

The siblings agreed. Lily and Jason said good-bye with a kiss. Flash hugged Shayera and they and their children went out together.

"How strange!" Vixen commented, earning a laugh from John.

"I agree. Let's go?"

John Stewart hugged Vixen and soon the couple was gone in the company of Rex. Terry arrived shortly thereafter, so like Batman, and they went their way. Those who would leave the tower did so, and those who wished to stay, took their own way. The day was over and everyone was waiting for a quiet night, without the shadow of the bad day they had ...

 **I think it's going to be like a second family night, with the difference that the heroes are a little more accustomed to their children of the future. I'll bring more updates soon. Thank you !**


	18. A Good Life, part I

_**Chapter Eighteen - A Good Life, Part I**_

 **Hi, guys, sorry for the delay to post this, but I've been very busy.**

 **Enjoy!**

They were both in the room, alone at the moment. John attached a laptop to the TV, but he looked away to see the figure of the mother, as he remembered the words of Chaos. Maybe it was just to confuse him, but why would he say he was not to be born? John loved his parents, as did his sisters. He would give his life for them and it hurt to think his life might be a lie.

"What is it, John?" Shayera asked. The boy shrugged.

"Nothing, I was thinking of something."

"And may I know what it is?" She leaned against the back of the sofa, watching the boy.

"Chaos said something that left me in doubt. He said I was not to be born."

Shayera swallowed, and remembered a conversation with John Stewart, where Green Lantern said he saw their son in the future. Shayera would not deny that she had waited too long for this future, yet she gave it up some time ago. And now, she had a new reality.

"Do you know about this?" The question woke her from her reverie. John was still staring at her, waiting.

"No." She replied, trying to sound convincing. "Should I?"

"I don't know. Maybe you didn't want me and ..."

"Look, this is still confusing to me, but I really want you and Lily as my children. I never knew how much I wanted to be a mother until I had you in my life."

Her words sounded real enough in John's ears. If he was not to be born, he did not relate to his mother. Most likely they were lies of Chaos, just to stun him.

"Do you like your father?" Shayera asked.

"A lot. I know Daddy's a little silly sometimes, but he loves us and does everything for us. I wouldn't have imagined a better father."

"I don't doubt that."

Lily appeared shortly thereafter, and Shayera and John dismissed the matter. John felt better, thinking that Chaos's harsh words were really a lie.

"What do you want to do?" Shayera asked the girl.

"Let's watch Digimon."

Shayera laughed and collapsed on the couch, tired, but watching the siblings.

"If I had known you wanted to see cartoons, I would have stayed in the tower."

"They are not cartoons, they are animes." Lily replied.

For Shayera, it was the same, but she chose not to argue. She shrugged, and sank deeper into the couch. Wally appeared a little later and took a lock of her hair, forcing her to face him. He gave a half smile.

"You want to help me out in the kitchen, Shay?"

The redhead denied, so Wally just nodded and left. Lily laughed suddenly and stared at her mother.

"It took me eight years to realize Dad was not calling you to help him with the popcorn. You were going to get caught."

John laughed too, but he shook his head at Shayera's confused expression.

"Nothing subtle, huh Kiwi?"

The girl showed him her tongue, which made him roll his eyes. Shayera wondered if she should find out if Wally needed help. But then she remembered that she did not want to compromise and decided to stay on the couch, although a small part of her wanted to "help him." The first images of Digimon began to pass on the TV, so Lily ran to the couch and sat next to her mother.

"Can I?"

Shayera got out of her thoughts and saw what her daughter wanted. She nodded and the girl laid her head on her lap, curled up beside her on the couch. John yawned and lay on the floor. Shayera moved a little to look at her son.

"John ..." she called and he opened his eyes. "Why are not you going to bed?"

"I'm right here, Mom."

"You're almost asleep." She returned. "I don't want you to sleep like this."

The boy sat down, rubbing the sleep from his face. Then he jumped onto the couch.

"I'm just tired."

"Don't you want to go back to the tower to check on you?"

"I'd rather stay with you." He hugged her waist, still sleepy, and rested his face on her shoulder.

"Okay, but if you're not feeling better tomorrow, I'll force you to see the doctors."

He laughed and nodded. Then he sat down again.

"I ordered pizza." Wally appeared and sat between Shayera and John. "And brought popcorn!"

"I am starving!"

John took the popcorn out of Wally's hands and began to eat. Shayera looked at her son, but she forgot him a little when she felt Wally's fingers interlock with hers. He squeezed her hand, hidden between them on the couch, and smiled as she returned the gesture. Lily lifted a little to look at her mother.

"Thank you for coming with us, Mom."

The redhead looked at Lily, then at Wally and John. The three of them looked happy, which made her happy too, and she could not even imagine why. She kissed the girl's forehead, and smiled.

"I wouldn't be anywhere else."

It was the truth. Even if her room was more comfortable, Shayera did not want to be anywhere else. Lily smiled back at her. That was almost her mother. Shayera leaned her head against Wally's shoulder, letting out a weary sigh. It was a difficult day. She pulled away a little as he stared at her in surprise, but he pulled her back. With a silent look, he asked her to stay. Without imagining why, she did.

* * *

Honey groaned a little as she returned to consciousness. She still felt her chest choking, and her body aching. The regular monitor beeping at her side bothered her now that she woke up. She also felt a very close family presence. Slowly, she opened her eyes.

The tower was quiet, and what was left of the med bay was dark. Kira slept in a chair, but leaned over the bed. Though uncertain about to wake her friend, she stretched out her hands, entangling them in the hair of the Martian girl.

Kira woke up a little frightened, but soon her eyes became accustomed to the half light and recognized Honey awake. She rubbed the sleep from hereyes and smiled at the blue-haired girl.

"How do you feel?" She gestured. Honey shrugged.

"Strange. It was like I had a huge weight on my chest."

"I'm glad you woke up."

"Me too. I thought I would be finished that minute."

"You're damn well mistaken." Kira hugged Honey, but the girl moaned a little at the squeeze. Immediately she released it and blushed a little. "I'm sorry."

"It's ok, Kira. I am fine."

"Hm, if it's okay, I think we can talk."

"About?"

Honey did not need to read minds to know what her friend was referring to. She was scared and about to die, and maybe she talked too much. She would like to delay that moment, however, Kira had a different idea. And if she thought of running away, she knew it was impossible.

"What you said earlier was true?" She asked. She did not dare read her mind, it would be too invasive.

"Which part?" She makes herself misunderstood. Kira rolled her eyes and smiled.

"You know ... about wanting to kiss me ..."

Honey shrugged. Kira was always her best friend. However...

"I like girls, and I like them kissing me too. You know and it was never a problem for you. It never interfered in our friendship."

"It's still not a problem." She said it was true.

"Then we need to talk about it?"

"Not for me."

The girl sighed in relief that she did not have to answer questions she did not want, but her eyes widened as she felt Kira hug her. Without a word, she returned the hug. The two girls curled up in bed. Honey still felt a little tired of the day, and so she closed her eyes again. Kira did the same, trying to sleep.

* * *

"Do you like this future?"

John frowned at the sudden question and stared at his girlfriend. Mari, on the contrary, did not look at him, but kept the task of clearing the table.

"I really like it." He replied. "I just don't understand that question."

Mari shrugged.

"Ah, you've been distant in the past few days. I thought you meant to end it."

"Quite the contrary. I love your company. I know I wasn't a good companion these days, but it was a mess."

"I understand, I just thought ... what about Shayera?"

"What about her?"

"Don't tell me you didn't pause for a second to think of her."

John paused for a moment to think. He made his think of her in the early days, but then he realized that he did not love her as much as he imagined. The redhead looked like an ever-distant past and, considering everything, he could tell she did not love him either. He smiled.

"I'm sure she's fine." Then she frowned and laughed. "With Flash!"

Mari followed him into laughter, and he was hugging her, kissing her forehead.

"I love you, Mari."

Rex appeared shortly thereafter, bringing in the food he went to buy.

"There are children in the room, in case, it's me. You can stop with this."

The couple smiled and released, not without first sharing a kiss, much to Rex's disgust. They finished packing the table, and then sat down for a quiet dinner. The beginning of a quiet family night.

* * *

The first chords of "La Vie En Rose" in Louis Armstrong's voice filled the room. It was not so late, but both Martha and Terry had gone to bed. The kids were too tired by the day, so they preferred to go to sleep earlier. At the moment, there were only Bruce and Diana in the room. They were sitting in front of the fireplace, drinking wine and enjoying each other's presence.

Bruce put down his glass, stood and held out his hand to Diana. With a smile, she accepted. He hugged her then, and they danced in the rhythm of romantic music. Diana laughed suddenly against his chest.

"Is that your tactic to win over women, Mr. Wayne?"

"I don't usually need that much." He gave her a half smile.

"Well, I'm not like the rest."

"I'm glad you did not ..."

He bent over her, placing a kiss on her lips. Diana wrapped her hands around his neck. None of them needed words to understand what felt, or wanted. Pulling away to breathe, Bruce stared at her. He held out her hand, which Diana accepted. He started to pull her up the stairs, toward the floor to rise. She did not need to ask, she would follow him anywhere. So they went where they most wanted to be at the moment. The arms of each other ...

 **Thanks!**


	19. A Good Life, part II

_**Chapter Nineteen - A Good Life, Part II**_

Shayera woke up half disoriented. The TV was still on and they slept on the couch. Wally's face was turned toward her. When she woke up, she was kind of embracing him. Lily was sleeping in her wings, and John was sleeping on Wally's other arm, clinging to his shirt. Her family, she thought.

Wally shifted, but continued to sleep. She smiled at the moment of calm and peace in which they stood. It did not even seem like they nearly died the day before. It seemed a distant reality now. It was still too early, so she hung up the TV. She snuggled back into Wally and closed her eyes.

The second time Shayera woke up, she was hugging Lily and John. The sun came in through the window and hit her face. Carefully she pulled herself free from the embrace of her children and stood. She stretched her aching muscles, and as she expected, she was all broken. She walked around the house and found Wally in the kitchen. She stopped in the doorway, watching him work.

"I didn't know you cooked ..."

"Good morning, Shay." He smiled at her. "How's the wing?"

"Better, though I'm sore. I can't believe I changed my bed on your couch again."

"Yes, everyone fell asleep."

He blushed a little, remembering that Shayera was too close when he woke up. So close he could feel her breath on his face. It took a lot of effort to get up earlier.

"The kids were glad you came." He said.

"It was nothing. I wanted to be with my family."

"Does this family include me?"

She caught herself smiling at him.

"Not really."

"You hurt me talking like that, Shay." He pretended he was offended. "Out!"

"You're accustomed." She returned.

"I know you love me!"

"Much less than you think."

They looked at each other and laughed. They always had a good relationship and Wally was one of her greatest friends in the league. Still with laughter, she felt as he stood beside her. Wally pulled her into a tight hug. Shayera closed her eyes, enjoying the contact almost as much as he did.

He wanted so much to kiss her and he lowered his face to her. Silently, he asked for permission, and Shayera promptly relented. His lips met hers. He tasted the upper lip first, then the lower lip, before their tongues touched. He wanted to enjoy every second, the moments with her always passed too fast.

Shayera wrapped her hands in his hair, pulling him closer, and what began softly soon became a little more voracious. His hands wandered over her body. Shayera shivered as his hands touched her back under her blouse. She ignored the pang of pain when his fingers delineated a great scratch, yet she could not ignore it when he felt a silly hand squeezing where it should not. She caught his wrist and broke the kiss.

"Don't!" She said firmly. "Better stop."

He grunted a little, but nodded. Wally released her slowly, even against his will. He stepped aside to avoid temptation. Shayera adjusted her clothes and her hair under the gaze of the redhead. She stopped, hands in her hair, and her eyes met Wally's.

Shayera did not know what was wrong with her. Normally, she would do anything, reaching her limits to hide any attraction she felt. Now, facing Wally, she could not think straight. Maybe that whole story messed with her hormones, though ...

"Oh, fuck!"

The next moment, they kissed again. Shayera pulled at him, trying to bring him closer again, while Wally held tightly at her waist. He was struggling to keep his hands under control as he did not want her to go away a second time. Although he wanted to explore her a little more, he knew he would have to go fairly quietly.

They lost count of how long they stayed there. No matter how long, for him, it was still very little. She stopped kissing him, but kept close. She had her eyes closed, feeling his breath on her face. She grabbed his neck, trying to keep him close.

"You're so pretty, Shay!"

She laughed a little, half hoarse.

"I don't think you've been looking in the mirror lately." She retorted without thinking. When she realized the words that came out of her mouth, she opened her eyes, finding a smile on his face.

"Does that mean you think I'm cute?"

"I didn 't say that."

Wally decided not to argue or comment. Shayera kept her arms around his neck, but then she heard voices coming closer, and she pushed him with all her might. Wally stared at her in confusion, but before asking questions, John appeared in the doorway, followed by Lily.

"Are we in the way?" John asked. Although he was not a fool, he did not want to create false expectations about his parents.

"Not really."

Shayera walked around the kitchen, putting herself as far away from Wally as possible. The kids sat on the chairs at the small table.

"What were you doing?"

"I was telling Wally I'm going back to the tower. I want to help as I can up there."

"It's early. Please, Mom!" Lily pleaded. "Stay with us a little more ..."

"And do what?"

"Start for breakfast, Shay."

Wally was close to her, and he hugged Shayera to the side, but she nudged him in the stomach, forcing him to let go.

"Do you want to make me crazy with all this love?" He questioned, holding the spot where she hit him. But Shayera decided to ignore him. She moved closer to John, and tangled her fingers through his hair. The boy looked up to find his mother's worried expression.

"Are you better, John?" She gestured. The boy nodded.

"Still hungry, but this is normal in the family. I haven't broken anything, and I am alive. That's what matters."

"And you, Lily?" Shayera held her daughter's face. She saw the bruises on her pretty face, and the marks of what would be hands on her neck. "You're injured."

"I'm going to need a lot of makeup to cover it, and my throat still hurts, but I'm fine."

"I'm a really bad mother for letting you go through that sort of thing."

But the kids shrugged. Shayera still lamented a little more, but both John and Lily said they were accustomed. So the conversation ended soon after. She still had breakfast with them, but she thought it lasted longer than necessary. So, while she was reluctant, she ended her family time.

"Do you really have to go?" Lily asked.

"You'll be in the tower soon enough, I'll see you again soon."

She did not have time for arguments. She hugged them, before the teleportation took her back to the tower. Wally grunted and took some time looking where she had been. She barely left and he already missed her. John stepped closer and put his hand on his father's shoulder, who stared at him.

"You shouldn't let her go."

"And you're talking to me?"

* * *

Honey opened her eyes, imagining that her friend was still at her side. She smiled, but instead of finding Kira, it was Jason who was there. Maybe it was a dream after all. The boy smiled at his foster sister while Honey sat on the bed.

"Hi."

"Hi, I had a crazy dream!"

Jason laughed.

"Let me guess: did you dream that Kira slept here with you?"

"How do you know?" The girl blinked. Has Jason read minds now?

"Kira was here in the morning when I came to see you. You slept hugged, but she woke up, saw me, and left. You know how shy Kira is ..."

So it was not a dream, she thought. Everything she said was real. And she thought she could get away with it. That story would still give, she knew it.

* * *

"Good morning." Diana smiled waking that morning.

She sat on the bed, watching her beloved. There was a breakfast table by the bed, richly prepared. Bruce looked very handsome in his robe, adjusting the last detail on the table. He wanted everything to be perfect. And for Diana, it was.

He smiled at the princess and sat down next to her on the bed. They shared a soft, passionate kiss. Bruce knew how different that future was from the other, and though he looked scary, he knew it was real, too. Both futures were true, and everyone's actions shaped that new reality. There was no right or wrong, it was just new, but still real.

"You slept well?"

"You know I do." She paused. "I'm glad you're here."

"So am I."

He took her hands, and also looked into her eyes. Diana did not know what the Batman would say, but by the expression, he was quite serious.

"What is it, Bruce? I'm getting nervous."

"I love you." He said and gave a smile, to Diana's relief.

"For a moment, I thought you were regretted."

"Never." He paused. "I've been thinking, and… maybe we should get married. Obviously it would have to be discreet, and we would need a few days, but ..."

The Amazon princess blinked at those words. Bruce was not a joking man, so the proposal was serious, though very quick. Even if it was too fast, it was all she wanted most. So she threw herself into his arms.

"Oh, Bruce! Of course I want to marry you!"

It was not necessary to say how happy she was. That was the beginning of something new. The other version of himself was too cowardly to make their relationship real, yet he would not make the same mistakes now that they had a new chance. The two of them loved each other and deserved a life together.

It would not be a god who would threaten they new future. They won a battle, and soon they would win the war. The league of justice would triumph, as would their love...


	20. Conversations

_**Chapter Twenty - Conversations**_

 **I apologize for the delay, and also for the chapter more or less. My head is so bad lately, and only today I was able to sit down and write.**

A few days have passed since the attack on the watchtower. The heroes were still apprehensive, however, with no sign of the enemy. None of them had any hope of getting rid of Chaos, and the lull was also disturbing, as they imagined the enemy regained their strength for a new apparition. In the meantime, they tried to lead their normal lives. All they had left was to prepare and wait.

Even with the threat of a god, they did not shy away from their other commitments as heroes. Routine villains were still loose, and their duty was still to arrest them. Shayera had just returned from a mission, and all she wanted was a good shower and a little rest. But she knew this would not happen when Batman came heading toward her. From his expression, it was something serious.

"We need to talk." It was straightforward.

He started to walk and Shayera followed him.

"Okay, but can you advance the subject of the conversation?"

"Not here, and someone is missing."

The two heroes headed for the meeting room, which was empty at that hour. Shayera folded her arms, waiting. The minutes passed and none of the others arrived. She was about to give up when the door opened and the Green Lantern came in.

"All involved are here."

Lantern came closer, as confused as Shayera. The ex-couple looked at each other, silently wondering why.

"I've been reluctant, but I think you have to know, I didn't expose my ideas to others, for fear of compromising not just the three of us, but those children ..."

"You think we have something with all this?" Green Lantern questioned.

Batman shrugged.

"I'm not sure, the memories of when I was in Chaos's mind are still confused." He paused. "The realities shocked at this point of time because that's when it all began. All I know is that at some point in this time, we made choices, and those choices were different from the other timeline. The universe restarted, and awakened a sleeping god."

"Then we're guilty." Shayera crossed her arms.

"Energy cannot be created, only transformed. It was up to each one the part that was rightfully."

Green Lantern looked at Shayera, and it was easy to see that they both had similar questions. It was Lanterna who had the courage to turn his questions into words.

"Which of the futures is right?"

"Whatever we do right. I made my choice, it's up to you to decide for yourself."

Batman was a direct man, and since he had nothing more to say, he left. Alone outside, he pulled out a little box from his utility belt. He gave a half smile, admiring the ring he had bought for Diana. He had made his choice, and he was not thinking of changing. He just hoped it was the best decision. But then, when he thought about Diana, he knew it was the right decision. So he went after the woman he loved, and she was soon to be his wife.

* * *

Shayera was still thinking about everything Batman told her, and wondered if she was the only one of the three. Why did everything seem so difficult for her?

Absorbed in thought, she did not notice her children's company until Lily touched her shoulder. She looked at the siblings and gave a half smile. She loved them, no doubt, but she did not feel ready to make a decision.

"Everything alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"I have. There is nothing for you to worry about."

Both Lily and John knew the mother they had, so they knew when she did not like to open up. This seemed to be one of those moments. So they decided to let it go. But Lily had other ideas. She gave a big smile to his mother.

"Are you going to do anything Friday?"

The redhead shook her head.

"Don't think I'm going to sleep on Wally's couch again."

"It's not like that, my birthday is coming."

"Birthday?" Shayera blinked.

"Yeah, I'm going to be sixteen."

John laughed and shook his head.

"You're not even born yet, Kiwi."

"But the date counts! And I want a cake!"

"If my princess wants a cake, we got one."

Flash sat next to Lily and hugged her. Shayera stared at John.

"Can I escape this?"

"Well, you promised, and you never break a promise..."

Lily looked so anxious that Shayera did not think she had any right to deny her anything. And John also seemed to like the idea. It was three against one. She let out a sigh of agreement.

"All right, brat, you win. Let's get you some cake."

"And are we going out to dance? You had promised ..."

"Of course, Princess. Everything for you."

* * *

"Hey, Lily! Wait!"

The redhead girl turned in the direction of her voice. Rex Stewart was coming toward her, which was strange because the boy almost never spoke to her, and she was still less talking to him because of her brother. But since she was an educated person, she decided to wait. The boy came closer a few moments later, and he looked a little embarrassed, which made everything even stranger.

"I know you're going out Friday night ..." He started.

"Yeah, my parents are going to take us to dance. If we were in our time, it would be my birthday. Why?"

"Can I go? I mean, I know we don't talk much, but I enjoyed bowling that day with you, so I thought if I couldn't go out with you again. Besides, you called everybody..."

Lily looked around, and there was no one to save her at the moment. She did not want to invite him too much, but it would not be right to leave Rex alone. So she nodded, though a bit afraid.

"You're not going to fight with John, are you? If no..."

"I promise to behave. Green Lantern's Word."

"All right, then. Oh, and why don't you call Uncle John and Aunt Vixen, too? So Mom won't feel like the only adult."

"Great." Rex smiled brightly. Maybe he and John would not be friends again, but peaceful coexistence was a start. And he wanted to go out, he felt bored in the tower. "Up to friday."

"Okay."

The boy left soon after. Lily did what she thought was right. She just hoped everything went well.

* * *

J'onn turned to the redheaded girl. Lily had a big smile, and from her expression, it was not necessary to read her mind to know that she wanted something.

"What do you want, Lily?"

"You know, Uncle J'onn. Saturday is my birthday and I've been wondering if we can't celebrate here in the tower. It won't be a big deal, just a cake ..."

The Martian stared at the redhead for a moment. She had an expression of an unowned dog, and although he liked her very much, it was not suitable for the watchtower.

"I don't know, no."

"Please ..." she begged. "I'm far from home, from my real parents, and you can't let me enjoy my birthday? To forget the problems?"

"How much will it cost?"

"Nothing, Daddy is going to get me a cake."

He knew he would regret it, yet he did not feel entitled to deny Lily's request. She, like the others, was far from their families and might deserve a bit of normalcy. He let out a heavy sigh.

"All right, you win. But until eleven o'clock, and no drinks."

Lily jumped into his arms and kissed J'onn's cheek.

"Thank you, Uncle J'onn. You are the best!"

"You can call your friends."

Lily scratched her head.

"Actually, I already called."

"Then why did you ask for permission?"

"To give you the feeling that the last word is yours. But thank you, anyway."

The girl nodded to J'onn and left soon after. She had to start planning her party.

 **I'm already super creating expectations for the next chapter ...**

 **Gratitude!**


	21. It's Friday, part I

_**Chapter Twenty-One - It's Friday!, Part I**_

 **I know it's kinda stupid, but I really wanted to write it. I tried to do a single chapter, but when I wrote it, it got really, really big, so I decided to split it in two.**

There was a large package on her bed that afternoon. Diana walked a few steps, and opened that box. To her surprise, a beautiful dress, richly decorated, rested in. Raising it, an envelope went to the floor. Diana bent to pick it up and opened it. Not surprisingly, the sender of that short but significant message.

"Wear it tonight. Batman. "

The Amazon princess read and reread those few words to the point of decorating them. So simple, but still significant. She set the envelope and lifted the dress. It was white at the height of her knees, and seemed to be the perfect size for her. It had sleeves, but the backs were exposed.

She could not wait to use it and see what Batman had in store for them. She knew it would be something special.

* * *

"Hum, you look good." Shayera commented as Wally stepped into her field of vision.

The redhead smiled and turned on his heel. He wore jeans, a navy blue shirt, and sneakers. There was a coat over his shoulder. As simple as he always dressed, however, she felt something different about him. Maybe it was her eyes, she thought.

Wally looked her up and down. Shayera was without her wings again, and she looked like a normal human. Not that he did not like her wings, she was beautiful anyway. The redhead wore an all-colored dress in blue, purple, and green. Her hair was loose and she wore high heels. She was still beautiful as she always was, yet she looked much younger.

"You're not bad either, Shay. I'm going to become Zatanna's slave, but she did a good job."

"I must admit I still feel strange without wings. It's like missing some of my essence..." She paused. "But, finally, explain to me again why the birthday girl doesn't go with us."

The redhead shrugged. He also did not understand the reasons for the daughter, only knew that he liked to go alone with Shayera. He extended his arm to her, and she rolled her eyes but accepted. They both went to the elevator. Wally leaned toward Shayera and smiled.

"I have not said it before, but you look like a Barbie."

Shayera shook her head and laughed.

"Idiot ..."

* * *

Wally's house became the meeting point. The bell rang and Martha ran to answer. When she opened the door, she came upon Rex. She let the boy through and he came in. Without the Green Lantern uniform, he wore a camouflaged jacket over his black T-shirt, jeans, and white sneakers. He was late, but luckily, there was someone who took longer than him to get dressed, so his friends had not left.

He smiled at Martha as he passed. The heiress Wayne had her dark hair hanging loose on her shoulders. She wore a purple dress glued to her body and high heels. Rex never had an interest in Martha, yet he admitted to himself that the girl was very pretty. John was an idiot for letting someone like her escape.

Closing the door again, Martha went to join Kira and Honey. Honey, as usual, had her blue hair tied in a side braid, and wore a black hat. Dressed all in black, in black trousers and black top.

Kira was already in a red skirt and striped blouse. As she always did when she walked in the human world, she had her favorite Asian appearance, with long, straight, dark hair and the typical drawn eyes. Rex entered the house further, approaching his friends.

"I thought you were away a long time ago." He said. Looked around. "This place is too small for so many people."

"We're waiting for the princess to finish." Terry said.

The future Batman was lying on the couch next to Jason. The leather jacket and coturno gave a rocky style to his look, supplemented by his jeans and white shirt. Jason already wore a plain T-shirt and jeans. He laughed a lot at Terry's comment.

His girlfriend, and also a birthday girl, knocked on the door, already desperate to leave. If she had not been tidied up, she would have knocked the door behind her brother. She wore a flashy yellow dress in A, 60's and white sneakers. Her long red hair was loose and contrasted with the color of her dress.

"Come on, John!" She hit the door again. "I'm going to blame you if ..."

"Calm dowm, Kiwi." The door swung open and John stepped inside. "I'm ready."

John's hair was loose, falling on his shoulders. He wore a white shirt under a gray waistcoat, tie, jeans, and shoes. Lily looked up and down at her brother. She did not understand how anyone could take so long to get ready.

"Really, John? Everyone is waiting for you!"

"I'm ready, aren't I?"

Lily walked quickly to the living room, where the others waited, and John followed after her.

"Dude, how slow you are!" Terry said standing up.

"A pity that John is slow for other things, too, right?"

Martha laughed at the expression the redhead boy made, as Lily tossed them all away. She was the birthday girl and she was already late. That night, she just wanted to have fun with her family and friends.

* * *

It played a very loud pop song when they arrived. Shayera and Wally were the first to arrive, even taking a while to get out of the tower. No sign of the boys, so they looked for a table. Wally glanced at Shayera. The redhead already had a drink in her hands, and even after a few sips she was still bored. She did not like the songs they played, they all looked the same. Bad beat, bad lyrics. At least she could get a drink.

"You ok, Shay?"

The redhead turned her attention from the glass to her friend.

"Or I'm not drunk yet, or these songs are very bad. Can I still give up and walk away?"

"You're already here and you can't go. But you're right, today's songs are bad. That's why I prefer the classics."

He smiled at her, receiving a sigh of boredom in return. Wally's gaze was a mixture of astonishment and amusement as Shayera turned all the drink left in her glass at once, only to make a face then.

"Better?"

"Not really.

"We can sort this out."

Wally smiled enigmatically at her. Shayera knew her friend would make some noise as he stood, and holding her hand, helped her to her feet. He pulled her onto the dance floor, even under protestations of not wanting to dance to that "bad music."

"Wait here." He winked at her and walked away.

Shayera saw Wally walk over to the DJ and say something. The boy bent down and when he got up he had a disc in his hands. He changed the discs and a new beat started. It was "Thriller." Wally nodded to her, and Shayera found herself responding, not sure what was going on. If she was sober, she would be far away, however, the alcohol was beginning to take effect and she just waited for what was to follow.

The redhead saw her friend move his head and right shoulder, as if he were in an epileptic fit. But then he began to sway in the rhythm of the song and Shayera wanted to be wrong, but she knew what the redhead was doing.

 _ **It's close to midnight**_

 _ **Something evil's lurkin 'in the dark**_

 _ **Under the moonlight**_

 _ **You see a sight that almost stops your heart ...**_

She put her hand to her face, just to make sure she was not in a nightmare, then realized she was still wide awake. Wally was coming toward her, dancing, and the onlookers around him opened the way. She wanted to hide at that moment, how people stare at the redhead, and at her as well.

"They're looking at us!"

"Come on, Shay! It's a thriller!"

"No way." She crossed her arms.

Shayera felt her cheeks burn while Wally did not seem to care at all for the attention she received.

 _ **You try to scream**_

 _ **But terror takes the sound before you make it**_

 _ **You start to freeze**_

 _ **The horror looks you right between your eyes**_

 _ **You're paralyzed ...**_

Wally began to sing, and maybe it was the alcohol acting in her body, but she found herself laughing. She certainly would not be the one to laugh at the boy dancing alone. But until the darn was good, she had to admit. Some of the people around seemed to like it, and it was easy to see some women admiring him.

She barely had time to think, and felt someone holding her hand. She realized when it was too late that Wally was dragging her along with him. The redhead ignored her protests, and dragged her to where he had been before.

 _ **'Cause this is thriller**_ _ **  
**_ _ **Thriller night**_ _ **  
**_ _ **And no one's gonna save you**_ _ **  
**_ _ **From the beast about to strike**_ _ **  
**_ _ **You know it's thriller**_ _ **  
**_ _ **Thriller night**_ _ **  
**_ _ **You're fighting for your life**_ _ **  
**_ _ **Inside a killer thriller tonight, yeah**_ _ **  
**_ _ **Ahahahahahahahaha**_ _ **  
**_ _ **I'm gonna bring it tonight…**_ _ **  
**_

She stepped aside, and opened her arms, still shy, trying to imitate her friend's choreography. They heard shouts and whistles of encouragement from the crowd. Someone yelled, "Go on, girl." She might as well run away, but a greater force prevented her from getting close to her friend.

They took a few steps forward, wiggling their arms as if swimming, and saw some people moving away, giving them more room. Wally jumped, turning to the other side, and she mimicked him, rocking her body as he did. They jumped back, swaying. Shayera liked the sound of her heels on the floor, at least she could imagine the touch of the shoes as they danced.

She swung her arm, still mirroring herself in Wally's footsteps. Shayera laughed, in a mixture of fun and shame, while some joined them, imitating the choreography, or at least trying. At least she was not the only one.

Together, they took a few steps forward. Then they put their arms over their heads, clapping their hands together. She did not quite understand the meaning of that choreography, although it was apparently well known. She also did not understand why she did that. She was not drunk, she just could not get away.

 _ **You hear the door slam ...**_

* * *

See any of them?" John Stewart asked, looking around. Mari laughed shortly afterward, and pointed.

"Ah, I do. Look there."

John looked in the direction his girlfriend was pointing, and saw a group doing the well-known Thriller choreography. In front of the group he saw two red heads. She saw Shayera stop, and the redhead laughed a lot. Then he saw Wally trying a "moonwalk". He paused beside her, and they both danced again, imitating the others.

John Stewart had to blink a few times to understand that this peculiar scene really happened, and right in front of his eyes. He imagined perhaps that of Wally, not of Shayera. The redhead changed a lot in those weeks, and maybe Wally really did her good.

They spent some time watching, and they were not the only ones. Shortly after, Lily came dragging Jason along with the other kids behind her. They saw their Uncle John standing in the doorway and went to him. She touched his shoulder, and the couple turned.

"Why are you standing here?" She gestured.

"We're seeing that." Mari pointed to a crowd.

The group crowded to see what was happening and soon discovered the heroes dancing with the others. They laughed, but Lily squeezed Jason's hand more and began to pull him onto the floor. The boy soon realized what the girlfriend wanted to do.

"No, Li! I won't do it!"

"Come on, Jason. Don't you know me?"

"I know you, that's the point."

However, as if a deity listened to Jason's prayers, the song ended before they joined the others. As fast as it began, the people were dispersing, leaving only the two redheads in the end. Shayera laughed a lot, as did her friend. Wally kissed her hands.

"I've always wanted to join a flash mob, Shay. Thank you."

"You have nothing to thank for, Wally. I loved it."

Lily folded her arms and pouting, next to a Jason very happy to have gotten away.

"Ah, I wanted to dance too!"

Both Wally and Shayera stared at the redheaded girl and laughed, finally noticing her presence beside them. Shayera ruffled her hair, and she laughed and hugged her mother.

"Been here a long time?"

"We've just arrived." She pointed the friends. "The others are there."

The redhead nodded, calling the others. Lily and Jason went to join their friends, and Wally followed them when Shayera took his hand. He stopped and stared at her.

"Don't you want to continue?"

He frowned, confused.

"I thought you didn't like those songs."

"And I don't like it. But we're already here."

Shayera stared at him with an expression he did not quite understand. Or rather, he did not know. It was the first time he'd ever seen her so receptive to him, no matter what they did. He agreed then. He squeezed her hand in his, and it took him a few seconds to notice the music he was playing.

He played a more alternative rock, and he found himself laughing as the DJ played "The Killers", rather, he listened to "Mr Brightside." Shayera also did not seem to want to run away from him, so it was his lucky night. He did not know how it would end, but the night just started for them.


	22. It's Friday, part II

_**Chapter Twenty-Two - It's Friday!, Part II**_

 **Double update ! I wanted to finish this story later this year, I do not know if I can, but I'll try. I love writing Interlude, but next year I want to dedicate myself to other projects.**

 **I almost could not finish this chapter this week. My kitty (who is called Shayera, of course ...) came home the second very badly. I thought she was going to die, but my princess is healing, and she looks good. So I could finish writing. Gratitude, and have fun reading ...**

It was Alfred who opened the door for Diana. The gentle butler led her into the living room. Soft music played in the background, and Diana caught herself remembering the last time she was in that house. Bruce was amazing, and she really enjoyed meeting him as he really was, without the millionaire costume, or his Batman mask. The real Bruce was polite, intelligent and very, very romantic. Diana waited a long time for that moment, and was glad that it happened, even with a little help from fate.

She smiled as Bruce came toward her. He returned it with a smile of his own, and for Diana it was perfect. She did not want much more than spend the rest of her days with Bruce. He was all she could wish for.

"You look wonderful." Bruce said, and it was true. Diana was beautiful and they had all night alone. Martha and Terry went out with their friends, so everything they had planned for them should go as planned.

Holding her hand in his, Bruce guided Diana into the dining room. As usual, the table was richly prepared, even though it was a dinner for two. Bruce pulled the chair toward her, and sat down beside her. He poured wine for her, and shortly afterwards dinner was brought. A wonderful grilled salmon accompanied with risotto.

The smell was amazing, as was the taste of that meal made especially for her. Diana wanted to savor every little bit the same way she enjoyed the moments she had with Bruce. He was a man and a busy hero, and she knew the relationship had to go slow, at least at the beginning.

She smiled at Bruce as she felt his gaze on her. Enigmatic, his blue eyes were fixed on her, as if they read inside her soul. Maybe he would. Bruce returned with a smile on his part, and though he did not show it, he was looking forward to dessert. He would like to see Diana's expression when he made the request.

They talked animatedly, and dinner followed calmly. Until it was time for dessert. Diana did not comment when only she received the dessert. The plate was covered by a cloche, so she could not see the reason for so much mystery. Bruce was still staring at her.

"Permit me."

Diana frowned, but nodded. Bruce held up the cloche. On the plate sat a velvet box. With her mouth open, she looked from the box to the beloved, already wondering what it was, and not knowing what to say.

"Bruce, I ..."

"I know it's a little quick, but there's no one else I want to share my life with." He paused, kneeling before her. "Diana Prince, will you be my wife?"

"I don't even know what to say ..."

"You can say yes ..."

"Oh, Bruce, yes! I accept to marry you!"

She laughed and some tears of happiness ran down her pretty face. She threw herself into his arms, touched him and kissed his face.

"That's all I ever wanted. You're making me very happy!

"With you, I already am."

* * *

Listening to "La vie en rose" while dancing was like reliving the first night they were together. Now they had the thrill of finally being engaged. Even with little time together, they both knew it was all they wanted. Soon Diana would be Mrs. Wayne. Life would go well and he would never have had the courage if those children did not appear in their ways.

They were hugging, not dancing at all, just moving, enjoying each other. Suddenly Diana lifted her head, rather comfortable on Bruce's shoulder, to look at him.

"Kiss me." She demanded and he just obeyed.

Their lips filled with love. Bruce pulled her closer, but an hour they had to separate for air. Holding her hand, he led her to the bedroom. He picked her up and put her on the bed. They lost all control and let passion drive their actions.

"I love you." She whispered.

That night they both had everything they could want. And if the chaos came, he knew he made peace with the world. And when they had to fight, they would fight together. But as they kissed, they knew the night was young.

* * *

Shayera tipped her head back and laughed as Wally turned with her. The redhead boy also smiled, glad to have an excuse to spend time with her. The truth was he did not want to stay away from her any more. He loved her too much and hoped to someday be reciprocated.

"Aunt Shay seems to be having fun with Uncle Wally." Martha remarked as she and John brought drinks. John glanced at his parents and laughed.

"I think Daddy's trying to impress Mom."

"Too bad my parents didn't want to come. My father needs to let go a little more."

"I'm sure he's fine."

Martha nodded and followed John, with the redhead making the way for her. They reached the table where John Stewart was talking to Mari. The Green Lantern glanced at the young men and frowned.

"How did you get alcohol?"

John shrugged, and set the drinks down. Then he pulled the chair up to Martha, and sat down beside her. After a while, Wally and Shayera joined them. Wally sat next to John, and Shayera between him and Mari.

"Finally you have decided to join us."

"Oh, my feet are killing me." Shayera complained. "And these heels don't help ..."

"Or you choose to look beautiful, or be comfortable." Mari said to the redhead. "You can't have both."

"I would prefer comfort ..."

"Well, at least we found Shay knows how to use her feet too, not just her hands ...""

Wally laughed as Shayera punched him in the arm. He did not regret what he said, ever. John left his parents 'and uncles' conversations aside and watched as his sister and Jason danced together. Terry, Honey and Kira were on the track as well, and Rex was talking to a girl in the corner. He looked away from Martha. The girl watched her friends dance, and it was easy to see that she wanted to dance too, but she did not want to leave him either. He knew her as no one else.

He pondered a moment or two whether he should invite her, or stand still. He awoke from his thoughts when he felt a touch on his arm. Then, he glanced toward Wally. His father always knew what was going on in his mind, and always encouraged him. This time would be no different.

He sought his long-forgotten courage. He stood in front of Martha and held out his hand to her. Martha looked at him in surprise, but still grateful and accepted, understanding the invitation quickly. The two boys came out hand in hand, like a couple, and mingled with the other people on the floor.

* * *

Rex was talking to a girl in a corner. She was beautiful, with brown hair and tanned skin. She had green eyes and hid her curves behind a navy blue, almost black jumpsuit. Of medium height, some might consider her a little overweight, but to Rex, she was incredible. He did not care so much about looks, especially when the girl was so kind and good-natured. They had been talking for a long time, and until then, he liked her. Maybe the night was not all that bad at all.

From where they were, he could see all the friends in the bar. His uncles had just joined his parents at the table, Terry was dancing with Honey and Kira, Jason and Lily getting caught, and John was leading Martha onto the dance floor. Everything seemed fine.

She had a glass in her hands, and for no apparent reason the glass broke, spreading the shards across the floor. The girl laughed awkwardly.

"I didn't know I had such strength." She said, through the laughter.

But Rex knew something else. He felt it. Without imagining how or why, he just felt.

* * *

John always felt awkward about Martha, he always liked her, but he did not feel deserving. Even wanting to get closer, it was all he would have at that moment. Martha, she would have to be content, too. She did not want John to leave her again. At least John took the initiative and called her to dance.

"I thought you'd never call me to dance." She said, trying to sound over the music.

"I almost didn't, but then I thought you didn't deserve to sit all night. Not when you refused some invitations to stand on the side of a guy like me."

"None of them are you, John." She paused, trying to decipher the friend's gaze. "Any problem? John?!"

The boy did not listen, and began to walk away. Martha paused, frustrated, trying to understand, but soon realized that John was not the only one acting strange. She saw Rex standing at the same spot where John seemed to go. The two exchanged a few words, and they both seemed to agree, whatever it was. Shortly after, the two boys made their way, and Martha knew it was not a good thing.

* * *

Wally looked at the couple in front of him. It was a little embarrassing, he was in love with his best friend's ex-girlfriend, although this friend was already in another relationship. Already Shayera had been alone since returning to the league, and perhaps it was time for her to start over, preferably with him. She laughed, then turned her attention back to her.

"I don't believe, did you see that?"

"We arrived in time to see Wally doing the moonwalk." John Stewart laughed. "I never imagined you doing this, Shayera."

"It was the most shameful night of my life." She said.

"You were very funny." Mari laughed too.

"Ah, I suppose."

Shayera felt her cheeks burn. Wally joined his friends, laughing at the situation as well, and Shayera's shame. He put his arm around her shoulder, but the redhead slapped his hand.

"No, stop." She said.

With a grunt he released her. They were just beginning to get closer and Shayera could find a way to get him away. Mari leaned toward Shayera.

"Really, how long have you been together?" Shayera blinked at Mari, somewhat puzzled and surprised by the question.

"We don't ..."

She did not have time to respond as a new song began and Wally caught her hand, dragging her onto the dance floor.

"I love that, Shay. Let's Dance."

"All the songs you say you love."

"But this time it's true."

Shayera still smiled disconcertedly at Mari, but thanked him mentally for her friend's meddling. She was not sure if she could give a negative answer and be convincing. Wally turned her on the dance floor, making her forget everything unrelated to the redhead. Then he hugged her, and they both danced again.

"I got you, huh?"

"Did you hear?"

The redhead nodded.

"I think I deserve a reward."

"What do you want?" He smiled at her, and Shayera shook her head. "No way."

"That's not what you thought, Shay. I..."

Wally did not have time to continue, as they felt a slight tremor. Then they heard the altered voices of Rex and John.

"Oh, shit!"

"Everybody coming out!"

 **What happens next? What happens?**

 **Only in the next chapter!**

 **Gratitude!**


	23. Falling

_**Chapter Twenty-Three - Falling Down**_

 **This chapter will be small, and a bit confusing, but it was to stay the same, without explanation. It will happen again, I still have a few chapters to write. Let's see what happens...**

 _Chaos had not yet fully recovered from his encounter with the Justice League. Although he had more power, he was not in his best shape, and those kids managed to break his human shell. But soon he would be in full force, and no one could defeat him. He could not wait for his revenge._

 _He was on the threshold of two worlds, the only possible place for his recovery. Still connected to the physical world, he could see and hear the humans on the other side, yet they did not know of his existence. Eyes closed, time passed differently in his meditation. He was older than time itself, even more so than that rest._

 _He heard wings flutter, and then he felt a presence behind him, then opened his eyes. Turning quietly, he saw the figure of a man with very white skin, and long, straight black hair. The mysterious man wore a golden armor, and carried a bow and arrow, also gilded, pointed at the primordial god. His physical bearing was quite muscular, and it was not hard to see that he was not human._

 _"The gods sent you behind me?" He laughed. "I expected someone stronger."_

 _The mysterious being did not let himself be shaken, nor did he lower his guard before the enemy._

" _Let the humans live in peace, this world is now theirs. There is no more place for the gods to walk the earth."_

 _"This entire universe was mine before they betrayed me and arrested me. I just want what's mine back."_

 _"I'll give you what you deserve."_

 _He shot, yet with a movement of his hand, Chaos made the object stop. Then, he threw the arrow away, in some other distant world. He laughed even more, for his strength returned. As the human world cracked, it grew stronger._

 _"Is that all you got?"_

 _"It's not even the beginning."_

 _The beautiful features of being gained a sudden fury. He threw the bow, and set off for the villain. He was a warrior and would fight to the end. Chaos would not win, or would be the end of all worlds ..._

* * *

The structure of the nightclub shook for a few seconds, but then it stopped. People looked at each other in a frightened way, and murmurs ran about. The music was turned off, so the voices of John and Rex stood out. The two boys ran to family and friends, shouting for the people to leave.

No one understood why, so no one moved. Only the heroes did something, making their way through the confused crowd to gather.

"What was that?"

"I don't know, I just know we have to get these people out of here."

Everyone agreed with Rex. They had to leave, but they needed to get the civilians out of the place. Before they could plan anything, they felt the earth tremble again, and the walls began to crack.

* * *

As it became routine, the tower alarms whistled. J'onn and Superman run to the monitors, where the Mr. Terrific checked the new occurrence. There was something about Metropolis, Central City, Gotham, and other cities. Even in the tower they felt the strange energy vibration.

"Contact our children." J'onn said. "They are on earth and can help."

"I don't think they'll be enough." It was Superman. "Call the others."

"That's it."

* * *

Civilians looked frightened and confused as a green energy field enveloped them, preventing part of the structure from falling on them. John Stewart was in his Green Lantern uniform, just like Rex.

"I won't be able to hold it for long." Rex said. "We have to get out of here."

The group nodded. By uniting their powers, the Green Lanterns managed to get everyone safe. The building they were in was not the only one suffering from the quake. Looking around, they saw the other buildings collapsing.

It was strange, a fight seemed to have occurred, however, with no sign of who or what, fought. Even though they apparently did not have an enemy, they still had to bail out the people around. Many of the buildings around them seemed to come down any minute, and they needed to act.

Wally was soon in his Flash fantasy, Kira was back in her Martian form, and John was able to make his wings appear. Jason, Martha, Lily and Kira did not have their uniforms, but they did not care because they had their powers to help. Terry and Honey were still human and needed their special outfits.

The spell on Shayera's wings still lasted a few more hours, so she was still "human," and Mari did not wear her necklace of animal powers, so she was also human. But they would help as best they could.

A crater began to open at the feet of a couple walking along the sidewalk. Instead of being swallowed by the hole that formed, they felt when they were far from the ground. They looked up. To their surprise, a boy with red hair and huge wings held them. John left the couple in a place that seemed safe and flew then going to help more people.

Green Lantern kept Mari with them while helping to rescue a group trapped under some debris. He felt more secure with her at his side, even if his girlfriend could turn herself.

Kira and Honey helped some people get out of a building about to collapse, and Rex tried to maintain the structure of the place until the victims were rescued. Though the earth was still shaken, and all felt the strange energy seizing the place, they still had not seen a sign of the enemy. Was it another work of Chaos? No one could say.

Jason helped Martha remove the debris, luckily, the people were not crushed by a building that fell. When they had enough space, Terry helped the people out, one by one. They were covered with dust and blood, but the wounds were not so severe. They were very lucky.

Lily indicated a path for people who were running scared. Not all of the city was under attack, so she helped people find a protected place, and also get out of the mess.

Shayera jumped into a semi-crater after hearing a childish cry. She found a seven-year-old girl among the rubble, but she was fine, though her arm might be broken. Probably the child had fallen while trying to escape, and was trapped. She helped the girl out, and she had no idea how to find her family.

"Anne ..." She heard a female voice shout, and a woman ran toward them. Flash was coming behind the woman, toward them. The woman hugged the girl, her daughter, then facing Shayera. She smiled at the redhead. "Thank you."

Shayera nodded, and the woman took her daughter to one of the many ambulances and police cars that had just arrived. Everything seemed under control at that moment. The ground did not shake anymore, and they all looked good.

"We formed a good pair, eh, Shay? I saved the mother and you saved the daughter ..."

She stared at him as she always did when he said something stupid. Flash thought Shayera would be annoyed, on the contrary, she just hugged him. Disconcerted, he returned the hug. He pressed her closer against him, and they stood there, just enjoying each other's company in that strange moment.

John watched his parents in the distance. They made a nice couple, even if they were not together yet. But he felt a delicate hand on his shoulder, and it did not take much to know who it was. He smiled a little when Martha took a few more steps, entering into his field of vision.

"I think it's over." She said.

"For the time." It was Kira. "I feel that, and I don't think I'm the only one, do you, John?"

John nodded as Kira joined them. The girl was a telepath without total control of her powers, and that explained why she felt the presence of Chaos, but he also felt, as well as Rex. They still had many unexplained questions.

* * *

"It was a difficult night. All I want now is to go home." Shayera commented.

Everyone agreed, they just wanted their houses. Flash stared at the redhead, and without words, wrapped his right arm around her. Shayera accepted, holding his hand next to her, and they began to walk, with Wally guiding her. She did not know where he would go, just follow him without thinking.

"Where are you going?"

The redhead stopped walking and turned to look at the Green Lantern. Shayera turned around a little, watching the hero as well. But it was Wally who answered.

"To home..."


	24. Meetings and Disagreements

_**Chapter Twenty-Four - Meetings and Disagreements**_

 **I said I wanted to finish this story later this year, but there are still a few chapters left. This should be the last chapter I'm going to post this year, and I'll try not to promise too much, just write as much as possible.**

The night was very different from what they imagined. They just wanted to have fun, but they had to save the city from an invisible force. Fortunately, not all of the city was affected, and Wally's house was entirely for them. John and Lily had already showered and got rid of the dust with which they were covered. Wally was clean too, leaving only Shayera.

She might as well have gone back to the tower and slept in the comfort of her bed, yet she felt touched when Wally said he would take her to home. Those two words had enormous meaning, and she liked it, though she did not yet know how to act before them.

She was leaning against the bathroom door, having only a towel around her body. She heard the knock on the other side, which woke her from her thoughts. She partially opened the door, then Wally's voice came from the other side.

"I sent your dress to the laundry room, along with ... the other thing ..."

"My panties?"

"That thing there." Shayera chuckled, then handed her a pair of clothes. "I thought you'd be more comfortable with one of my shirts."

Shayera accepted the clothes, locking the door again. A few minutes later she left, already clean and in Wally's clothes. She wore a dark blue shirt, too big for her, which read "Central City Crime Lab," and gray sweatpants. The redhead smiled sheepishly at Wally, who was still waiting for her at the door.

"Sorry, but I had to make holes for my wings. I had even forgotten them."

"Fine. This shirt is better on you than on me."

Wally watched her a little more. Her wet hair fell on her shoulders and face. Even in oversized clothes, she was still beautiful.

"Wally ..." she called him. The redhead blinked a few times, finally waking up. "It's ok?"

"Yes, yes. The bed is tidy, if you already want to sleep."

"I'm going when you go."

"As you wish, Shay.

* * *

Although it was not too late, they were all exhausted from the night and decided to go to bed. As usual, John and Lily slept in Wally's room, and Shayera shared the room with the redhead, as she had done the other times when she slept in that house. Wally turned off the lights, and went to lie down next to Shayera.

She felt the movement on the covers beside her, then she knew when Wally had lain down. Her heart thudded harder, waiting for Wally to come closer, or even touch her, as she imagined. However, he did not.

"Good night, Shay." He only said.

Shayera turned to him. In the dark, she could only see his silhouette. Wally was quiet, struggling to keep his hands in check. She did not want to believe it. After everything that happened, after everything he said, and taking her home, Shayera expected a little more attitude. She felt his body vibrate, and knew he wanted as much as she did.

"I'm here on your side and you're not going to try anything?" Her voice dropped.

"I don't know if my heart beats. Have an incredible night with you and be just that one night. I don't want to be with you until you're sure of what you feel."

"Wally, my only certainty at the moment is that I want to spend the night with you. I avoided getting to that point, but ..." She sighed. "I need you!"

"It must be difficult for you to admit it."

"You can't imagine how much."

It took a few moments, but she felt the blanket move, and soon Wally was closer. She heard his low laugh and felt a hand touch her face. Like the first time they kissed, he touched her fondly, however, without the fear of before.

"I knew you missed me."

Shayera smiled and before she could say anything, his lips were against hers. She felt his heart pounding in his chest, and it was as if she had two hearts, so close. Her heart was beating harder as well, following his. For a moment she felt as if they were one. And she could not wait to really be one, at least for that night ...

* * *

Shayera sighed and smiled before even opening her eyes, as the memories of the night returned to her mind. Two warm arms held her close to a solid, equally warm presence. Half of it was on the side, and half on it. Feeling his chest rise and fall was as good as the contact of his skin against hers. Being with Wally was amazing, so much more than she imagined.

"Good morning, Shay." He said.

"Good morning. Been awake for a long time?"

He shrugged. In fact, he barely slept that night, afraid to wake up and it was only a dream. Wally pulled her into a kiss but heard her stomach growl. With a grunt, he had to push her away.

"I'm going to make breakfast because I'm hungry, and I imagine you are." He smiled proudly, but she just rolled her eyes.

They put on their clothes, exchanged a brief kiss, and he stood. Wally held Shayera's hand as much as possible, but an hour had to be released. With a smile, she threw herself back into the makeshift bed while Wally went into the kitchen.

The pillow and the sheets still smelled of him, and Shayera caught herself closing her eyes, just to appreciate a little more. She remembered every touch, the friction between their bodies, their sighs and moans, and the words lost in the dark. She really missed the speedster, and he was only a few feet away from her. But Shayera knew that it was not yet time to compromise, and even with longing, she would not walk the few yards that separated them. So the sheets were all she had that morning.

"Glad you slept here, Mommy."

She looked up, and held out her tongue to the girl standing beside her. Lily threw herself at her side, and they hugged each other.

"Happy birthday, brat."

"Thank you, Mommy. Where is Daddy?"

"I think in the kitchen."

The two of them stood, and went together toward the kitchen. Wally turned to them, and smiled broadly at Shayera. Say that he was happy was not enough.

"Good morning, women of my life. Happy Birthday Princess."

"Thank you, Dad. Can I eat my cake now?"

"I thought you wanted to celebrate in the tower with your friends."

"I'm not that selfish. I don't think the mood is for a party."

"We talked to Supes and he said okay. You deserve it, my dear."

"Really?" The girl jumped for joy. Everyone knew she would give up her party, but no one wanted to deny them that little moment of happiness.

"Of course, why not?"

* * *

The four were in the tower, as were the other heroes. They were all tired from the day before, yet they had to be in the tower for their duties. So that little pause was more than welcome. The dining room had been decorated with colored balloons and ribbons, as well as the posters wishing the birthday girl a happy birthday. Lily knew that was John's doing when he read "Happy birthday, Kiwi" on the cake.

"I think my brats give more work than the other kids." Shayera remarked as she talked to Superman. Only her daughter to stop the watchtower like that.

"I wouldn't say that John and Lily give work. They are ... restless ..."

"Too much." She laughed. "These kids are going to drive me crazy!"

"I'm sure you love them."

"But of course I-"

Shayera heard the voice of Flash. In an involuntary gesture on her part, she turned her face to look at him better. He was with Jason and Lily, talking animatedly. They laughed at something she did not know what it was. At one point, Flash caught her eye and winked at her. Shayera returned with a smile and returned to look at Superman, who faced her with a funny expression.

"Love them ..." She whispered, more to herself than any other. Suddenly, the implication of those words became greater than she wanted. She shook her head, relieving herself of unwanted thoughts and feelings. Then she gave the blue scout some excuse and tried to run away.

* * *

"Shouldn't you be celebrating with your children?"

Shayera turned toward the voice. Green Lantern John Stewart was in the hallway, walking toward her. The redhead shrugged and leaned back against the glass wall, looking into space.

"I just wanted to be alone."

"Then I'd better find another place."

"All right, John. You can stay if you want."

He nodded, and moved closer to her. He leaned against her side, staring in the same direction as her. They were silent for some time, but when this silence became too great, the Lantern tried to break it.

"How's life being a mother?"

They did not have much time to talk in the last few days, and even if fate separated them, he still had a feeling of care for her. Shayera shrugged at the question.

"It's hard to have two teenagers calling me Mommy. They know everything about me and I don't know anything about them."

"It's complicated for all of us."

"Some more than others."

"Are you fine?"

She nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I just ... I've been thinking. And I still remember when you said you saw our son in the future."

"That future crumbled, and we're not sure what was real."

"I'd like to have met him." She sounded rueful. "But now it seems impossible."

John put his hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her.

"From what I see, you will still have your own children."

Shayera thought of everything that lived with him, everything they lost, everything she stopped believing. Then the last few weeks came to mind. She remembered Flash's kisses, family moments, and the night they spent together. As strange as some of those moments were, she loved them all.

"I love those kids, and that's not what I'm worried about. The problem is with their father."

"The Flash?" She nodded. "You don't have to do anything you do not want to, Shayera."

"Maybe part of me wants to, and that's the problem."

"Are you afraid of falling in love with him?" She looked away. It was then that he realized. "You're in love with him."

"I'm not in love with Flash." She crossed her arms.

"Stop being stubborn, Shayera. What prevents you?"

This time there was no duty to her planet. She was not torn between heart and duty, so the Lantern did not understand why she continued to deny the feelings. When she realized the size of what she felt, she tried to run away. Not that she did not want to love him, but the people she cared about always ended up hurting.

She stared at the ex, the guilty look on her face. She covered the small distance between them, taking him by surprise with a kiss. She tried to feel something, and nothing. She already loved him so much, she betrayed her people because of him and the earth, and today, he did not have the same importance. John pushed her away. He could not do that even with Shayera, much less Mari.

"It was strange, was not it?" Shayera questioned.

"A lot." He nodded. "Why did you kiss me, Shayera?"

She tried to understand why she did it, and no answer was worth the effort. She felt strange about John, as she felt so good about Flash. She tried again, no less fortunate than the first time. She rolled her eyes as she tried to feel something with that kiss. She wondered if John felt the same nothing, after all, he did not even bother to reciprocate. He moved away.

"Nothing."

"Ouch." John laughed, almost amused by the situation. He kissed her cheek, then walked away. "Good luck with Flash."

The redhead blinked a few times. John understood her feelings better than herself. She was in love with Flash, even if she wanted to deny the feelings. Maybe it was time to look for him. She gave an embarrassed smile of apology to the Green Lantern, and when she turned to return to the party, they noticed their boys standing in the hallway.

The ex-couple looked at each other, questioning how much their children had witnessed, but by their confused expressions, they saw more than necessary. That would not end well.

 **As I may not post this year, I wish you all a happy holiday.**

 **Gratitude and see you next time!**


	25. Family Issues, part I

_**Chapter Twenty-Five - Family Issues, Part I**_

 **I should have posted this before, but my mind was really bad, and I could not do anything.**

 **This would be a single chapter, but at the time of writing it was too big, so I will divide it into two parts. First chapter of the year, it was difficult but I was able to write.**

It did not take much to know the kids were confused. They looked at each other, then looked at John and Rex, after all, the whole scene was with their parents. The two boys did not want to believe what they had just witnessed. John imagined that his parents were beginning to approach, but apparently he was wrong. And Rex could not even think that his father did that to his mother.

Shayera turned away from the Green Lantern, ready to explain herself, not knowing how. However, contrary to what she had expected, Rex's fury did not come to her. Confused, the boy looked from his father to Shayera, and then to John. Even if the boy was not to blame, it was his mother, which only increased the anger he felt a few years ago.

"And I almost considered you a friend again." He said, and won the confused looks of his friends around. He continued, all the restrained anger leaving. "It should be family. Your mother taught you how ..."

John shoved Rex, so confused that he could not keep himself calm as he wished.

"Don't talk about my mother!" He shouted. "Your problem is with me, not with her. You can talk about me, you can try to humiliate me, but you don t talk about her or my sisters!"

"Or what?"

John laughed and stayed on his back. Without a second thought, he turned and punched Rex. He wanted to do that for so long, and everything he's been through in recent months, along with the scene he's just witnessed, has pushed him to the limit. Rex fell because of the violence of the punch he took, and soon John was coming upon him, however, Jason stopped his friend.

"It's not worth it, dude."

Rex laughed as he wiped the stream of blood from the corner of his mouth, and stood up.

"That's it, dude, it's not worth it. We all know how bad your mother is."

Jason held on tightly, while John wanted to beat Rex in every way. It was full, and that was the last straw. Kira and Terry had to hold Rex because he also wanted a fight. Martha stepped between John and Rex, and in the meantime the confusion had already gained many curious glances from the other leaguers.

"John!" Martha was serious. "Go away, please."

The redhead still tried to pull away, advancing toward Rex, and Jason had a hard time keeping him in place. Martha has never seen her friend so angry before. John tried to be calm at all times, but she knew he did not like being talked about by her mother, and Rex had crossed the line.

"John!"

He heard her name scream once more, and in the blind fury he recognized Lily and Martha's voice. He stared at the two girls, breathing, trying to calm down. Jason released him, and John turned his back, making his way through the group and casting glances at Martha and Rex as he walked away. When the friend was no longer in his field of vision, Martha finally turned to Rex. She pushed him away, and the boy staggered, but she stood.

"What's on your mind?" She shouted.

"He was-" He tried to justify himself, but Martha interrupted him.

"You're so stupid you didn't realize that John spent the last year trying to apologize to you. And I'm already tired of your quarrels with him." She came closer. "If you mess with him again, you'll see me."

"I'm not afraid of your father." He returned.

"You should be afraid of me."

She left, clearing the way and heading in the direction John was.

"I've never said anything, but if you get close to John again, or even to Li, you'll see me too." Jason said as he went on his way. He did not see Lily in the crowd, so he decided to look for her.

"You got bad, huh, Rex."

Terry bumped into Rex, also leaving. Honey just shook her head, not agreeing with his attitudes. Little by little, the guys were leaving.

"Are they all on his side?" He gestured.

Kira opened her mouth to speak, but gave up.

"There's nothing to see here." She dispersed those still in the hall, who were gradually leaving, leaving only Shayera.

"I guess I'm lost. What happened to them?"

The Martian girl turned to her aunt.

"That girl, Katy, was dating Rex, but she was playing John too. Rex thought it was John's fault, and they fought. The two of them went to the hospital. Rex gained a deadly hatred for John, and John got really bad at it all. He was going to ask Martha to date him, but it never happened. And that's been over a year. I thought with the whole time travel thing they were overcoming it, but it seems I was wrong."

Shayera looked incredulous at Kira.

"All this about a girl?" Shayera asked.

"Until the Trojan War began because of a woman. You should know it yourself, aren't you, Auntie Shay?"

The direct indirect picked up hard. Kira was right, however, the center was not her.

Shayera found her son in the training room. The door closed behind her, and John remained the same.

"Will you teach me a lesson, Mom?" His fist went through the punching bag with which he had fought for some time. The sand dripped to the floor.

"It's not my style. How about fighting with me? So you relax and don't end up with our stuff."

John shrugged. At the same time it was her fault, it was not. At least he was cooling his head. His mother knew him very well ...

* * *

Shayera laughed with John as the boy told them about their family. He told a little of his childhood, his sisters, and everything else he had not told before. They had long since stopped fighting, and the boy spoke only a little more of the family. John was lying down, and she was sitting, watching her son. He noticed the look and returned it with a smile.

"Our family seems pretty unbalanced." She said, after hearing many of John's epic stories, especially when he was little.

"We're crazy, you need to see. But we love you and Daddy."

"I'm sure you do." She smiled thoughtfully.

John looked a little more serious, and looked at his mother.

"Why did you never tell us that you dated Uncle John?"

"How will I know?" She returned. "I'm not exactly your mother yet."

"It's not your best excuse. But you must have your reasons."

"I guess someday we'll have the answer." Shayera rested her chin on one hand. "You like her, don't you? Martha?"

"What hurt me the most is that she went to talk to Rex."

"Only to say he was an idiot, and that she would kill him if he came near you again." Shayera said. "A little bird told me about you two."

"Kiwi?"

"Kira. Why don't you tell Martha how you feel?"

John looked from his mother to the ceiling. He let out a sad sigh.

"Maybe the day you admit that you like Daddy."

"I never said I didn't like him."

"But you don't admit you like, either. May it's a family problem."

Shayera opened her mouth to speak, but Martha appeared in the doorway, begging silent to enter. The redhead nodded and stood.

"Let me deal with Wally. You and Martha need to talk."

John looked at his mother and saw Martha at the door. He stared back at the ceiling as he heard the girl's footsteps approaching him.

"John." Her voice softer now. "I'm sorry, I-"

"All right, Martha. Really."

"If everything's all right, why don't you look at me?"

His blue eyes rested on hers.

"I think I deserve it."

"Stop blaming yourself, John. People who care about you know the truth, the rest doesn't matter." She paused. "What are you trying to prove?"

He had countless answers to that question. Prove that he did not always act on impulse. Prove that he could be faithful to someone. To prove he was better than some said. However, staring at Martha, the answer screamed in his mind.

"That I'm good enough for you."

"You already are."

She touched his face. Martha bent over him, her black hair rubbing against his skin. Soon, her soft lips were against his. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. For the first time in a long time, he accepted the contact without reluctance. He wanted her for so long, and he was a fool to keep her away.

They parted for a breath, and caught one smiling at the other. John felt as if a huge weight was being pulled from his back, and he finally got the girl he loved. He had loved her for so long that he did not even know how it began, but from the first time he saw her, he felt something and only increased as time passed.

They kissed again, and in a moment of daring, Martha found herself climbing into his lap. But John stopped her.

"What are you doing?"

"We've waited a lifetime for this, John. I don't want to wait any longer."

"Someone can come and see us." He argued.

"Then it's good to go fast ..."

Martha kissed his neck. It was as if every sleeping part of her body woke up under the girl's touches. She did not have to ask for a second time ...

* * *

"That was ... wow!"

"A lot! The girls were right about you."

"There's only one girl I want to be with."

Martha chuckled against John's chest. She liked the feel of his skin against hers, especially the thin layer of sweat that covered them. They were still lying on the mat, trying to calm their breathing. John's shirt was thrown somewhere in the room, and Martha's clothes were wrinkled, and they were happy, very happy.

She smoothed the tattoo he had on his ribs, and felt his body twitch with her touches. She traced words on his skin, hoping he would understand what she was writing.

"I hope no one have watching the camera recordings." She laughed, finally thinking about what they had just done. John joined her.

"I have no problem exposing myself, but I hope they have not seen you." He pressed his hand to his forehead, giggling louder. "I'm a dead man. Uncle Bruce's gonna kill me."

"I protect you, my angel."

He found her lips in a new kiss. Oh, that was good. Now she knew why Lily and Jason never separated. Being with the one you love makes your chest vibrate with a new emotion. John pulled her against him, holding Martha in his embrace.

"I love you ..."


	26. Family Issues, part II

_**Chapter Twenty-Six - Family Issues, Part II**_

The gossip ran fast, and when John Stewart arrived at Mari's door, he supposed she already knew what had happened. Even if she did not know, it was his duty to apologize to her. From his girlfriend's expression when she saw him, the news had come to her. She turned her back on him, allowing him more room. That's what the Green Lantern did, uncertain of how to proceed.

"I always knew you still liked her. "Mari said, sitting up in bed and not having the guts to look at her boyfriend.

"It's all a misunderstanding, Mari."

"Yes, and unfortunately, the misunderstanding was mine. I came to believe that I wanted to be a family when you invited us to dinner that night."

"And I really want a family with you."

"So why did you kiss her?"

John could use Shayera to justify himself, and it was no lie, after all it was the redhead who kissed him, yet he too was to blame for being so divided between two women. Also, he knew how much the former was confused by what she felt, and did not want to mess up her image any more.

"I know I haven't been a good companion to you, but I would like to change that, if you will permit me ..."

Mari frowned as John moved closer to her, and knelt beside her. He took a small box out of his pocket, the blue tone unmistakable. The woman ran out of reaction as he opened the box, revealing a ring with a large diamond.

"I was hoping for a more appropriate time, but this seems to me as good a time as any. Will you marry me, Mari?"

"John, I don't know what to say."

"You can say yes. This ring was very expensive."

"I just don't want you to do anything rash."

"Mari, I love you. And I would be the happiest man in the world if you agreed to be my wife."

Mari looked at her boyfriend for a few moments, then grinned, throwing herself into his arms.

"Oh, John! I accept to marry you!"

They kissed with passion, sealing the beginning of a new phase in their lives.

* * *

Lily turned and smiled as the door opened and Jason came in. The boy sat next to her on the bed, and threw his right arm around her shoulders.

"I didn't see you after what happened, and I decided to look for you."

"When something happens, they always come after me because I'm younger, but I think Mom and Dad went to see John today."

"John may be my best friend, but you're my girl. I'll always look for you."

"I know." She paused. "It's strange to see my mother kissing my uncle and finding out they've dated. If Mommy stayed with him, I wouldn't have Daddy, my siblins, or even you. Maybe I didn't even exist..."

"It's normal to be confused, Li, but I'm here with you. Aunt Shay scares me a little, but I always thought you had one of the best families."

"Are you joking? My parents are crazy." She laughed, then turned to her boyfriend. "But I love them ..."

"I'm sure you do."

The two of them exchanged glances for a few moments. They had been together for almost a year, and though they were very young, they were sure of how much they loved each other. They even made plans for a future life for two. Lily grabbed Jason's face and pulled him into a passionate kiss. Without thinking much, she began to push him to the bed.

"Calm down, Li."

"Just ... kiss me ..."

They kissed again. Even together for a long time, they've never had anything but kisses. Jason fell back on the bed with Lily on top of him. At no point did they stop kissing. If she was ready, he was ...

"I love you, Li." He touched the girl's face half asleep in his arms. Lily shifted and opened her eyes, smiling at her boyfriend.

"I love you, too." She paused. "We should get out of here."

"Why?" He held her in his arms. "This is so good."

"We've been here a long time, someone can look for us."

"Right." He suppress her with a grunt. "But when we get married, I won't let you leave the room."

Lily laughed, and in an instant she was standing. In seconds she was dressed again.

"You can try."

He threw Jason's clothes at him, who grunted a little more, but also dressed. They came out hugging the room, and Lily pulled him into a kiss. They heard someone cough and parted. Shayera was standing there, arms crossed.

"I thought I'd see how you were, but I think you're fine, brat."

She winked at they and went on her way. If Lily wanted to, she'd look for her later. And she was sure the girl would.

"Ah, now Aunt Shay kills me!"

Lily laughed at her boyfriend and pulled him the other way.

* * *

"How are the kids?" He gestured. Shayera looked up just to see the red speedster walking toward her. He came closer, so she shrugged.

"They are well. Strange to think that this confusion started because of me."

"I should talk to them, too, don't you think?"

The redhead shook her head.

"My problem, I had to sort it out. If you want to talk to them, leave it for tomorrow, okay?"

"I think you're right. Bye."

Flash was leaving, but Shayera grabbed his arm.

"I'm sorry, Wally. She said. "I ..."

"All right, Shay. It's my fault for raising expectations."

"But ..."

Shayera did not have time to speak, as the next instant Flash was out of sight. She felt guilty for everything, especially for hurting her friend. He really liked her and she ruined anything they could have. Maybe they should not be together, she thought. But at the same time she wanted to be wrong.

* * *

Rex stared at the ceiling as the door opened. Kira stood with her hands behind her back. The Martian girl always seemed shy to him, and they never exchanged more words than necessary, so her presence was unusual.

"It wasn't my fault, but your thoughts were too high to avoid, so I came here to talk to you." She paused, expecting Rex to say something, or even drive her out, as he thought, but he kept silent. She went on. "John spoke the truth. I searched through his mind and he had no idea you were dating Katy. And I'm not saying just because I'm his friend or his family."

"Why didn't you tell me before? You could have avoided so much confusion."

Kira's cheeks turned red. The girl until she was cute, he thought. She shrugged.

"Well, I thought you could figure it out. Confidence goes beyond hearing thoughts."

"It says the girl who reads minds."

"I avoid getting to that point, unless your thoughts are too strong, like yours. Seriously, I don't go around rummaging through everyone's mind."

Rex laughed. The waves he sent her softened, so his anger subsided.

"And also ... I don't think you would believe me..."

"Thank you, Kira. You're cool."

Kira giggled and left. Hardly the door closed with Kira's exit and opened again, but this time who entered was John Stewart. Rex did not know how to face his father, nor did he know if he wanted to.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with your family?"

John Stewart sat on the edge of the bed, with Rex still avoiding eye contact.

"I'm sorry for what happened, son. It wasn't meant to be."

"So why did you kiss Aunt Shayera?"

"It was not me, and regardless of Shayera's motives, I don't want you to judge her." He paused. "I loved her a long time ago, and our relationship didn't end in a quiet way, and we ended up clinging to a past with no future. That kiss served only to see that we didn't feel anything for each other."

"That doesn't change what I saw."

"I know, but the anger you feel won't do anything good to you, son. No matter what happened, it's past. You have your whole life, and that anger won't let you follow in peace."

Rex shook his head in agreement. Now with a cooler head, he could see right, and it was really stupid of him. So much could have been avoided, but it happened and there was no turning back. But he could still move on.

"No one will ever steal the love I have for you or your mother." The Lantern continued.

"What does mother think of all this?"

"We talked and decided to get married."

"She should know what she's doing."

They were silent for some time. John watched his son for a while, and opened and closed his mouth countless times. Although he wanted to apologize, he knew the boy was upset and would not allow much at the moment. So he let out a heavy sigh and stood. He walked to the door, then heard Rex call him. He turned to the boy.

"Dad ... Can you stay a little longer?"

He smiled and nodded. He sat down next to Rex again. He was not sure if Rex had forgiven him, but it was a good start.

* * *

"I slept in Jason's house, but it was the first time we really were together."

"Was he kind to you?"

Lily nodded with a dreamy smile. She and Shayera shared the little bed in the late afternoon of that confused day. The two of them were hugging each other, and Shayera smoothed her daughter's hair.

"Good, so I don't need to kill him." They laughed.

"Don't let Jason hear you, he's really afraid of you."

"Really? I'm so sweet."

The girl moved a little on the bed, enough to face Shayera.

"Do you still like Uncle John?"

"I've loved him very much, now I see that I have only great affection for him." She said and it was true. She did not love the Green Lantern anymore. "We went in different paths."

"What about Dad?"

"Let me deal with it. Wally is hurt with me, and I need some time."

"But ..."

"No more! I don't want to talk about this now."

Lily knew her mother, and she knew when Shayera closed the subject. She did not want to talk, and Lily knew she needed her privacy. All he had to do was agree. Her parents would settle at the right time, they still had time.

"I'm sorry for spoiling your birthday."

"Are you joking?" Lily grinned. "It was great!"

They embraced again. It was the perfect way to end the day.


	27. The Skies Fall, part I

_**Chapter Twenty-Seven – Skies Start To Fall**_

Three days had passed since the confusion on Lily's birthday. Although one or other was still commenting on the tower, it was not such a big deal to keep a gossip going for long. Soon everything would be forgotten.

For John, those were the best three days since they were in that reality, because at last he and Martha were together. It was still something between them, meetings hidden by the corners of the tower, but they were very happy. They could have been together for a year, though, John knew that was the right time. Not before, not after. But he still wanted to do something nice for his girlfriend, to make up for all the mismatches.

"Open your eyes."

Martha did so. She looked around and it was easy to see that they were somewhere in Central City. They were in a dimly lit place, but in the distance she could see the lights of the city. Above them dazzled a very starry sky. And below her feet, she heard the furious sea crashing against the rocks. Further ahead there was a table set for a romantic dinner, in a place all lit by candles.

John had warned her to not wear high heels, and now she understood why. The terrain was a bit rough, and it would be difficult to walk if you were in heels. Then she wore sneakers, which matched the black lacy dress. Her hair was stuck, and she wore John's coat. Already he wore jeans and a white shirt and his hair was tied in a ponytail. Martha looked up at the sky again, delighted. It was hard to see the stars when they were in town.

"I've never seen so many stars, John! It's beautiful!"

The boy shrugged and put his hands in the pockets of his pants.

"Dad helped me. It's the most beautiful place in Central City."

One more look around, and then she recognized where they were. She remembered countless photos of that place in the West house. Adding a tent, candles, lots of colorful flowers and she would be at the wedding location of John's parents. John loved that place, it was almost his private sanctuary. Past or present, it was the same. Martha smiled and hugged him.

"I hope you don't bring other girls here, West." She proceeded.

"You're the only one, Martha! Only."

They shared a passionate kiss, and then looked up again as the first ray of light cut through the skies. Others followed, but as quickly as it began, ended. Slowly, those bright spots that shone with more intensity than others, were fading and disappearing. One by one, the stars disappeared from the sky. Until there's nothing left, just ...

Empty...

They looked at each other.

"We have to go back and alert the tower."

Martha nodded and hurried off. The romantic night would have to wait.

* * *

"Uncle J'onn and I reviewed, and you're right. We detected the absence of at least twenty-seven galaxies."

Honey punched in a few commands, and a hologram appeared in the middle of the meeting room. The founding members and their children approached, while Honey pointed the absent galaxies, in different points of the universe.

"How does a galaxy disappear?" Lily asked, and that was the question in everyone's mind.

"If it was an isolated fact, I would say it was a gigantic black hole, but twenty-seven? It's not natural."

"Chaos is back." Superman snapped.

"I don't know, Uncle Clark. I don't think he ever was." Kira intruded. All eyes turned to her. The Martian girl swallowed suddenly, but went on. "I can feel his presence. It is the same energy in all the times that Chaos appears."

"He's already started." They all turned to Diana. The Wonder Woman continued. "Legends say that if Chaos returned to the world of men, he would take everything for himself. Everything he imagines to belong to him by right."

"We'll be ready." It was Batman. "We know our enemy, we know how he acts."

Shayera shook her head.

"Why don't I think it will be so easy?"

"I never said it would be easy. But it has to be done."

Superman nodded.

"Let's stop him." He paused. "It's late already. Take a rest, while we still have time."

The heroes agreed, and shortly thereafter the meeting was adjourned. The young people left first, and gradually their parents also went to try to rest. Shayera stood outside, just leaning against the door. A little later she saw when Flash was leaving. He paused for two seconds, and stared at her. She gave him an awkward smile, but the red speedster simply passed her.

"How sensitive he is!" She exclaimed.

"I think Flash has his motives." Shayera turned and Diana was there, her arms crossed. "Everyone knows he's always been in love with you. You played with his feelings."

"I didn't play with his feelings. I was confused with mine!"

"That's not enough reason to hurt him." She returned.

Shayera shook her head in agreement. Diana was right, and she knew it. She hurt the only one in the league, maybe in the world that accepted her completely. She was unworthy of the love and friendship of Flash. She said goodbye to Diana and followed the way to her room.

Shayera disappeared down the hall and Diana felt a hand on her shoulder. She smiled, not needing to turn around to know who it was.

"Bruce ..." His name came out like a passionate whisper.

The Amazon princess turned, and her beloved dark knight was there. He gave her a half smile. Even if they were alone at that moment, the tower was full of heroes, and they were never completely alone in the watchtower. But she could at least pretend they would have a moment alone that night.

She leaned closer, eager for the touch of his lips. Diana was soon in his arms, and they shared kisses and affectionate touches, as if there were no tomorrow. Batman wanted to take her home, but all the heroes would be guarded in the tower. So the kisses would be all they had that night.

They pulled away when needed to breathe, still holding each other. Diana smiled, as she felt a hand of Batman running down her cheek. She could not wait to be both husband and wife.

They kissed again shortly after, even more in love than before. Deep in his mind, he remembered where they were, and he knew they would have to stop. It took much of his self-control, and even against their will, they had to separate. Batman pushed Diana aside, and moments later Kira passed them.

The Martian girl did not slow down, but smiled at the couple, ashamed to upset the moment of affection. Diana smiled and sighed, knowing that each one would have to follow a path.

She started to walk, however, Batman held her hand. They went together and held hands for a few yards, until they needed to separate as they were near the main hall. She smiled again, kissed him on the cheek, and left. Batman watched her walk, following her steps until she disappeared through one of the many passages of the tower.

When he was alone, he let out a sigh. They barely parted and he missed her already. For a long time he fought his own feelings, but now he had to admit it. He was in love with Diana.

* * *

John entered his room in the tower. They agreed to sleep everyone in the league if Chaos showed up. As soon as he closed the door, the room light went on and he saw Lily sitting on his bed.

"You frightened me, Kiwi."

"No Kiwi! I want to know what you and Martha did tonight."

"We were talking."

"I'm not silly, John! I'm dying of curiosity."

"Well, you're going to be curious." He pushed his sister out of the room. "I won't say anything."

"But!"

The door closed in her face. John did not want to talk about his relationship with Martha, not until everything calmed down. He threw himself on the bed and closed his eyes, too tired to think. He just wanted to get some sleep, and prepare the best he could for what would follow.

* * *

For the heroes who managed to sleep, waking up with the tower alarms sounding like crazy was not a good way to start the day. Superman and Kira were the first to arrive at the controls. The man of steel typed some commands, and a new anomaly hovered over Metropolis.

Honey, Terry and Rex arrived shortly after, dressed in their uniforms. In moments, the heroes formed a crowd around the monitors, trying to unravel what was happening.

"I have video images." Mr. Terrific shouted, and threw the images he got into the monitors.

The few seconds of images of some television channel showed Chaos walking freely through the streets. The villain looked directly at the camera, and with a flick of his right hand, the images stopped. The heroes looked at each other. Even without being fully prepared, they had to prevent Chaos.


	28. The Skies Fall, part II

_**Chapter Twenty Eight - The Skies Fall, Part II**_

 **Hi guys, I'm back! I don't know if the chapter was confusing, I tried to do some action...**

Chaos just lifted one of his hands as he felt the green beam coming toward him. He laughed, and looked straight at Honey, Kira, and Terry as they ran ashore toward him, while Superman, J'onn, and Green Lantern came through the air. Those heroes were pathetic, he thought.

Suddenly he felt someone on his side and barely had time to turn around. John hit his face with Shayera's mace. Chaos lost some balance as he felt his bark crack again. It really infuriated him. He was a god, and a simple boy managed to hit him twice.

John stood in position as Chaos regained his composure. He turned the mace, ready to strike again. This time, Chaos was not taken by surprise, and managed to avoid the blow. John did not understand how, but seconds later he was on the floor. The villain took a few steps, stepping on the chest of the fallen boy. John felt the huge pressure on his chest, and tried to leave, however, he did not have enough strength.

Chaos stared at the confused boy at his feet as he held the mace. He felt the object's anti-magic energy, however, was not such a strong force to stop him. He tossed the object away, hard enough to pierce a wall.

Superman flew over him, dragging him by yards, raising a layer of dust and concrete as he dragged the villain down the floor. John managed to sit down, while Martha and Lily rushed to help him. He held his chest, feeling some pain and trying to control his breathing. All the heroes had to protect their eyes, as a great cloud of dust covered them. When at last the cloud went down, they saw Chaos holding Superman by the neck.

Honey looked up and fired her lightning gun while the Green Lantern flashed a green beam against the god. Chaos released Superman, and held up his right hand. The lightning rays coming toward him hit an invisible force field, and followed another path. And the heroes were cast away.

Kira threw herself at Terry and they rolled across the floor. He was about to question his friend, but the blast from a newsstand behind them answered his silent question. The other lightning destroyed part of a building, so some people ran scared. Rex created a green shield, while Jason removed the civilians from the battle front.

Chaos, still with his outstretched hand, uttered a few words in an unknown language. The debris beneath her feet began to move. They united and grew, gaining form. Then there appeared a creature with a lion's body, and a lion's and a goat's head, and a giant serpent on its tail. It was three meters high, teeth and sharp claws. The creature glanced toward the heroes, and let out a growl loud enough to be heard for miles.

Growling again, he began to run toward the heroes. Wonder Woman used her bow, and held the creature's paws. Using all her strength, she tried to knock it down. The creature's tail hit Diana in full, like a mighty whip. She lost her balance and had to loosen the loop so she would not be bitten by her mouth full of teeth. She flew a few feet above. The creature loosened its grip, and ran back toward John, Lily, and Martha.

Lily helped her brother to his feet as Martha stepped up to face the thing. She heard Batman's voice on the commic link. The girl ducked, and a few batrangs flew in the direction of the thing. The lion's mouth took one of the batrangs, and began to chew it. It was hit by some, with no effect on its size.

Martha ran toward the thing, which also came against her. She caught its mouth wide open. Her hands were bleeding from sharp teeth, and she had to resist. The goat's head screamed, like a red ray broke the creature in two. The back half fell to the ground, with the snake giving its final spasms. Martha still held the lion's mouth. Using all her strength, she pulled in opposite directions, ripping the lion's mouth. She threw the deformed creature away. She smiled and waved to Jason as the boy came down beside her.

They joined Lily and John at the same time that Batman came close. The remains of the creature dissolved, returning to dust. They all took a few steps back, as the dust became a black mud, and a huge claw appeared before them. Another hybrid creature of lion, goat and snake emerged from the remains of its predecessor. It jumped and roared, followed by two other creatures, who ran toward the other heroes scattered through the streets of Metropolis.

While some of the leaguers had busy hands facing the creatures, J'onn turned into a great green dragon and flew toward Chaos. Green Lantern took a disjointed Superman, making way for the Martian. The dragon wrapped itself around Chaos, clutching it in a suffocating embrace. The bark of the villain had a crack, and only grew. He screamed, and a bright white light enveloped his body, at the same time they heard the sound of something breaking.

They heard an explosion of light. J'onn was hurled away, returning to his normal form. Green Lantern flashed a green beam, catching the unconscious Martian and placing him on the ground, next to a Superman who slowly regained consciousness. The monstrous creatures let out a terrible roar, and then they fell apart, becoming dust and losing themselves in the wind.

"Is it done?" Someone questioned, as confused as the others. No one could answer right now. "We win?"

A huge crater formed where Chaos should be. Kira was the first to approach, checking the place. Terry was coming with her, and to their surprise, there was an unconscious form lying in the rubble. They jumped into the crater, approaching Luthor's unconscious form. Terry checked his vital signs, and they were fine.

"Dad!" They heard a female voice scream, and then Honey jumped into the crater with them. "Dad!"

She came closer, checking herself for his vital signs. Even though he was a bad man, he was still her father. She had not seen him for years, and she missed him, even if she did not admit it. They heard a hoarse cough, and Luthor regained consciousness. Without thinking much, Honey hugged him.

"Do I know you?" He gestured.

"Someday."

Without much concern, Luthor pushed the girl away, and even with difficulty, got to his feet. Honey also got up, as did Terry and Kira. But the Martian girl put her hands to her temples, and slipped back to the floor. Honey forgot her father's presence and turned to her friend.

"Kira, what happened?"

The girl looked at her friend, tears streaming from her eyes.

"We have to get out of here." Her panicked voice indicated that they did not have that much time.

Terry propped Kira against him, and Honey tried in vain to take Luthor with her, yet he did not move. He faced a fixed point ahead, oblivious to the girl's screams. Honey stopped when everyone heard sounds like thunder. A terrible storm seemed to be forming, without first being there.

Something covered the sky, and darkness took over. Lightning struck the skies, and the sound of thunder was almost deafening. Honey turned in the direction Luthor was staring so hard, just in time to see dozens of lightning coming down to earth. She also saw how a huge cloud of fire with black spots formed in the sky above them.

Slowly, the spots grew form, resembling angry eyes and a gigantic mouth with a wicked smile. Luthor takes a few steps forward with open arms, along with a laugh. Honey takes her eyes from the anomaly that formed over them, to face, in disbelief, the figure of the future father.

"Welcome back, master."

The skies start to thunder again, as if in response. The mouth opens at the same time that waves of energy come toward the earth. With horror, she saw the nearby buildings, which were touched by the waves of energy, were consumed and disappeared. As Luthor stood, the energy was drawing closer to the crater.

Honey started to run. Terry left Kira in a corner, and bent down to help Honey out of the crater. The girl managed to hold his hand, however, the strange energy came closer and closer. She closed her eyes, imagining it to be the end ...

 **To be continued...**


	29. The Last Standing

_**Chapter Twenty-Nine - The Last Standing**_

Honey felt a warm presence close to her. Maybe death was not so bad, she thought. But soon she began to hear the voices of her friends, and opened her eyes. She realized that she was in the arms of a very muscular man. The man in question was tall, light-skinned, with long, dark hair, wearing golden armor. Honey was not blushing, but she blushed at the beauty of that being. With a smile, he set her back to the floor.

Looking around, she saw that they were no longer in Metropolis. They was in the tower, along with the other heroes. Grateful that she was still alive, she had a sore feeling in her chest that her father was not among those present.

"What happened?" Flash asked, holding his head. His head throbbed, and there was a buzz in his ear.

Everyone felt the strange change, and they did not have much memory of what happened, just felt the strange energy taking over the city. It was not long before they realized they were back in the tower, as was the mysterious presence between them. The heroes, even wounded and tired, stood in a fighting position. The mysterious man, however, raised his hands in a sign of peace.

"I am..."

"Eros." Diana replied by the figure, bowing as a sign of reverence. She continued. "Also one of the primordial gods. I imagine you came to our aid."

"Correct, Princess Amazon."

"Eros?" Honey asked. "Like Cupid?"

"I'm not Cupid. I am the order, born of chaos. I came to restore balance in this world."

"All help is welcome." Superman said. "We are at a disadvantage and ..."

"Guys ..." Kira called, next to one of the tower's windows.

The heroes approached, trying to discover the concern of the Martian girl. A crowd soon formed around the window, and they watched with horror as the earth was swallowed up by the cloud of fire. Then a new wave of energy shook the tower. Computers and other equipment exploded, and they stayed in the dark.

The stars faded and the planets disappeared, leaving an emptiness outside. Time was running out, and they knew. Superman walked away from the window and turned to Eros, still standing in the same place.

"Can you stop him?"

"I don't." He paused. Then, looked at Rex and John. "But they can."

Everyone turned to John and Rex. The boys almost fight a few days ago, and now the fate of the world was in their hands?

"What?" The boys asked at the same time. "Why us?"

"None of you should be born. Your mother, John, and your father, Rex, followed separate ways. You were an anomaly that restarted time and awakened Chaos from the gap between worlds."

Eros showed them a different reality, where Shayera and John Stewart were a couple, and they had a son. Then, he showed them the new reality, where John Stewart was married to Mari, and they had Rex. Then Shayera with Wally and John.

 _"He's so handsome, Shay." John listened to his parents. He was not sure if it was real, or just his mind preaching a play. "Do you believe we've created something so beautiful together?"_

 _She laughed, staring at her son._

 _"Yes ..."_

John reached for his parents' image, but it disappeared between his fingers. He swallowed, regaining his composure. He was afraid his reality would never happen, but he had to keep his fears to himself, at least until the end of the battle.

"So our parents are guilty?" Rex questioned.

"Your parents made their choices, and no one can blame them. You are all important, just because you are here and now."

Silence was present. John stared at Lily and Martha beside him, then Flash ahead, and Shayera in the crowd. This was his family and friends. He would give his life for them if he had to. And if the world were to end, all the people he loved would cease to exist. If he had to, he would give his own existence for the good of others.

"What do I do?"

"I'm not going to let my son handle that thing alone." Shayera intruded. "I won't risk him."

"If everything goes as planned, they'll be fine. Both will return home alive, and the world will return to balance."

"All right, I'll go." John said.

"If John goes, I won't be left behind." Even he was afraid, the old rivalry spoke louder about Rex. It was an ideal time to prove himself better than John. If he saved the world, he would get all fame.

"We all go." It was Batman. "We won't cross our arms as the world falls apart beneath us."

None of them would. The fear and the doubts were insignificant compared to the sense of duty they had in the chest. They were heroes, and they would fight to the end, even if it cost their lives.

"Where are we going?" Someone asked.

"Metropolis." Eros asked. "Where it all began, it's over."

"But Metropolis is gone." It was Honey. "Our computers don't detect anything down there."

"Magic goes beyond what your equipment can measure. Metropolis is still there. There is still hope ..."

Everyone agreed. There was still hope ...

 **Oh, Interlude is almost over! The next chapters will be in two or three parts, and it's the moment I've waited to write. The final duel between the league of justice and a god older than time itself.**

 **Soon, "The Long Song".**

 **Gratitude!**


	30. The Long Song

_**Chapter Thirty - The Long Song**_

 _ **Rest now my warrior**_

 _ **Rest now, your hardship is over**_

 _ **Live. Wake up. Wake up**_

 _ **And let the cloak of life**_

 _ **Cling to your bones. Cling to your bones**_

 _ **Wake up wake up**_

 _ **Live. Wake up. Wake up**_

 _ **And let the cloak of life**_

 _ **Cling to your bones. Cling to your bones**_

 _ **Wake up. Wake up!**_

 _ **Live! Wake up! Wake up!**_

 _ **And let the cloak! Of life!**_

 _ **Cling to your bones! Cling to your bones!**_

 _ **Wake up! Wake up!**_

 _ **Wake up! Wake up!**_

 _ **The long song, rings of Akhaten, Doctor Who**_

The heroes looked around at what Metropolis once was. Pieces of concrete and dust floated around them. There was no sign of human life, and it was difficult to see so closely the destruction of the city before so full of life. Looking above them, just darkness. No sun, clouds or stars. Just nothing.

"How long until we're noticed?" Lily asked.

What remained of the city trembled beneath their feet. Lily felt something move beneath her, at the same time as Rex held her arm and pulled her back. They fell, and watched, just like the others, what before was dust and debris uniting, gaining new form.

One by one, creatures were rising, frighteningly similar to heroes. It was like standing before a mirror, where their reflection laughed back in a strange way. Rex threw a green beam in the direction of his copy, but it swerved, mingling with the debris. The heroes had a disadvantage, after all they were in the environment of those creatures.

Martha felt a hand grip her shoulder, and then her copy emerged behind her. She turned, only to find her portrait laughing.

"You're not strong enough, my dear." It said, punching her hard in the face. Martha staggered, but she held her ground. Her copy went up, but she spun and kicked, hitting the other in the stomach.

She screamed in anger as she went to the floor. Before she could get up, some batrangs clung to her body, exploding next. What was left of Martha's copy fell apart. The girl stared for a few seconds, but bent at the sound of Batman's voice. A few more batrangs flew over her head, sticking to the chest of another Batman coming toward them. The batrangs exploded, and the copy fell apart.

Jason cast his vision of heat into his copy. The creature screamed, and molded itself again, taking the form of Lily. Jason stopped when he saw the image of Lily ahead of him. It looked like his girlfriend, and even if it was not her, he did not feel capable of attacking her. The copy laughed, and threw itself against Jason, knocking the boy down. He still looked at her again, but gave up. Lily's version laughed, clawing her claws into his chest.

He shouted, and reached out to take her off him. It was not necessary. The copy screamed and fell on him. Jason pulled her off him, just to see Shayera standing there. The redhead held out her hand. Swallowing, he accepted the help.

J'onn reached into the chest of his copy, and pulled out something like a heart, all black. Kira followed suit, attacking her merciless reflection in the same way, then helping Honey. Green Lantern divided his evil version in two, while Eros cut off the creature's head similar to him.

John pinned his copy to the floor, using a piece of wood. He watched it fall apart, returning to the rubble. Terry destroyed his copy using his batrangs, and Superman used his vision of heat in his copy. Flash and Rex destroyed the remaining creatures, and the horde of enemies was gone.

The heroes looked around, checking that they were alone. Green lantern tried to light the place, but the feeling of something else remained in everyone.

"It's not over yet." Eros said. "The storm is getting closer and closer."

"We know."

"And what shall we do now?" It was Rex. "Wait?"

"We won't be standing for long." Jonn pointed to bright red dots.

Everyone stood up. The air around them got warmer. They heard a loud heavy breath, then the fire came toward them. The heroes deflected as best they could, but the flames served to clear the way a bit. Huge claws appeared, as did a mouth full of sharp teeth. The creature uttered an awful cry, and left.

Its body was covered with scales, much like a gigantic lizard. It also had huge wings, and a sharp tail. Hot smoke hovered around its muzzle and mouth. It spread its wings and rose winged, illuminating the black sky with the flames that came out of its mouth.

Before they had time to process it, they heard the sound of a trumpet. Bright spots lit up, and a battle cry began. No one understood the singing, but the guttural voices came closer and closer. The trumpet sounded again, and a shower of arrows began. Green Lantern has created a field of energy, protecting them from attack. When the field fell, they saw the army marching toward them.

The creatures wore black armor, as did their horses. They were too tall to be human, with a large body covered with dense brown skin. They had pointy noses and ears, their sharp teeth protruding from their mouths. Some carried swords, and there were those with bow and arrow. Their horses were black, with red eyes and a breath of fire. The army was to be out of sight.

The trumpet sounded again, and the creatures raised their weapons as the army advanced. The dragon took a low flight, attacking the heroes through the air. J'onn wanted to kill the dragon, so he soon flew behind the winged creature. They watched from J'onn fighting the dragon, to the monstrous army, ready for battle.

Some creatures made their way, and from among them came who they did not expect to see. The familiar figure appeared among the creatures, still wearing the black tuxedo, intact in the midst of such destruction.

"Luthor?" Superman asked, incredulous, imagining that the villain was gone. But he was wrong. Like so many other times, Luthor has given his way back.

"I needed a way back, and this was the perfect solution. Now I can have my revenge."

Superman was about to fly against him, however, Honey stood between her real father and the adoptive. She looked at Luthor, not too happy about that situation. She clasped her lightning weapon between her hands.

"Let him with me, Uncle Clark. This is a family business."

Superman tried to argue, but the girl's expression said she would not budge. He stepped back, allowing her to confront Luthor. It was her wish, and he did not feel entitled to interfere. Also, they had bigger problems ahead.

Luthor shouted a command in a strange language, and the creatures reacted, waving their weapons and resuming the battle cry. The real battle was about to begin. Honey glanced at Luthor's chest, but gave up firing. She discarded the lightning gun, and decided on a body fight. She hoped to win, and hoped not to kill the real father in the process.

Green Lantern flew above the other leaguers, and threw a green beam, dividing in half some of the creatures. Their bodies fell to the ground and returned to dust. He threw a new thunderbolt, yet he received a heavy blow. He was falling quickly, unconscious. Rex flew to his father's aid, taking him out of the way of the dragons. He watched the fight waged in the skies, then the fight on the ground.

Shayera, Lily and Jason were surrounded. Shayera confronted the creatures using her mace, and Jason used the vision of heat. Lily had stolen the sword from one of the fallen monsters, and fought the best she could, trying to dodge the blows.

John and Martha also fought with swords, trying to break through. Terry was with Batman, and the two fired their batrangs at the horde coming toward them, without much effect. Diana and Flash had their hands full. Diana broke one of the creatures in half, using only her hands. She threw its halves to the ground, but watched with horror as he reared up. She was tired and felt her legs weaken. It swung the sword, and she closed her eyes, waiting for the final blow. A green beam came between them, and she looked up.

Green Lantern regained consciousness, and he and Rex returned to action. They went down on the battlefield. They created arms and started fighting with each other again. Superman held the blade of a sword with both hands. The creature snarled at him, displaying its crooked teeth. He heard a moan nearby, and watched as Luthor held Honey by the throat. She was his daughter too, and she would not let it happen.

He fried the thing with which he fought, using the vision of heat. The creature went to the ground without life, and he flew towards Luthor, hitting the rival with an unknown fury. Luthor was hurled away and Superman crouched down beside Honey. The girl coughed a little, holding her throat.

"Are you ok, daughter?"

The girl nodded, watching Luthor rise again.

"Stop him, father!"

Superman did not wait for the girl to ask for a second time. Honey rolled and grabbed her lightning gun, firing at nearby creatures. They fell, but they rose again. Honey shot two more times, but creatures kept coming toward her.

Two dragons were fighting a fierce fight, yet one of them did better and it was not J'onn. On earth, the heroes were also tired in the endless struggle. As much as they fought, the army of monsters seemed endless. Eros divided one of the creatures with his sword. He took a few steps forward, and raised the glowing blade to the skies.

"Chaos!" He shouted. "Show yourself!"

A gigantic sphere of lava and fire burned the skies, brightening everything around with its red glow. He opened a huge mouth, hungry to devour what was left of the universe. Eros moved closer, and Rex and John were soon at his side. Then the boys looked at the fury of the primordial god.

"The gods have not walked among humans for millennia. This world is no longer yours. This world belongs to humans now. It's time to leave."

Chaos roared, shaking the heavens. Eros looked down, where the heroes still struggled. Even tired, they resisted. They were brave and courageous, yet only John and Rex could put an end to the ancient god. Eros turned to the boys again, and made a silver dagger appear in his hands. It would be a difficult choice, however, it had to be made.

"I can stop Chaos, however ... I need a sacrifice." He paused. "You were not to be born, you were an anomaly. They are children of the very essence of Chaos, and to hold him, I need the blood of one of you."

"This is crazy." Rex shook his head. "We have no guarantee of ..."

"Can you make sure everything's back to normal?"

Eros nodded. Although he did not read the thoughts, he knew very well what the young redhead thought. Both were dirty and hurt, and very tired. He was breathing hard, and much was in his mind.

"I promisse."

John took the dagger. Rex grabbed the arm of the teammate, incredulous that John was crazy at that point.

"It's not worth it. Are not you saying that we always have a choice?" He paused, unanswered. "John?"

Rex blinked a few times. John stared at the glowing blade.

"Sacrifice for the greater good."

Rex still tried to interfere, however, Eros prevented him. John felt the cold blade come into contact with his skin, cutting through his flesh. Instantly the hot, cool blood dripped drop by drop on the floor. It seemed an eternity, but it was only a few moments. John sat, feeling his body falter as his life faded. He faced the rival.

"Tell my parents I'm sorry, and Lily and Joyce that I love them. And Martha ..."

"You can say that yourself." Rex interrupted, as he took the dagger from his hands. "If in another life we were once one, maybe we can divide. I won't let you play the hero alone."

John laughed, even weak. Rex did not hesitate as the dagger cut his own flesh. Blood also dripped and dripped on the floor, and for a moment he forgot any rivalry or anger he had ever felt. Never before had he come so close to sacrificing himself for someone, and finally understood the meaning of hero.

Rex sat next to John, and held out his hand in a friendly gesture. Eros smiled. They finally understood. He uttered a few words in an unknown tongue, and the blood that fell and mingled began to shine. This same light was directed in rays towards Chaos. The villain screamed, as if he was in great pain. His body twitched and they heard a crash.

The black sky behind them began to crack, like an immense scar. Chaos was sucked into the crack, along with the dragon and the army of monsters. The creatures disappeared, so with their master to the place from where they should never have left, and where they would remain until the end of time. With a few more words in the strange tongue, he sealed the crack once and for all.

Eros watched as part of the essence of Chaos escaped and was lost, spreading through the universe. He would not pursue her, for chaos was also necessary for balance. He turned to the boys. He bent down in front of them. They were weak, almost lifeless. He touched her wrists, closing the wounds.

"It's over." He said. "Piece of Chaos is lost to the universe, but okay, it is necessary for the universe to keep in balance. Thank you..."

Having said that, he disappeared. John and Rex closed their eyes for a second, only reopening at the voices of their families and friends. Lily was the first to arrive, throwing herself into her brother's arms. They both fell back. Lily laughed and cried, uttering things incomprehensible to him. The other heroes were soon around.

"Calm down, Kiwi, it's okay."

"I know, John. We won!"

They laughed, then heard the stressed horn of a car. They looked toward the sound, and a line of cars waited impatiently for them to leave the middle of the street. Shayera and Flash helped John and Lily to stand, just as Green Lantern helped Rex.

They all went to the sidewalk, and to the general surprise the city returned to the place, with its tall buildings and cars and pedestrians, with no sign of ever being destroyed. If it were not for the wounds they carried, that adventure would be just a story. But by the marks, they knew it was real. Seeing the city standing, with its inhabitants going their way, they were sure that Chaos was defeated.

They heard coughs and groans, and they all turned toward the sound. They saw a man crawling, trying to get close to where they were. It was Luthor, still alive, but as wounded as they were. He tried to get up in vain. Since no one dared help him, he stared at the heroes, stopping to stare at Honey and Superman.

"I know I don't deserve forgiveness." He started. "But all I did was ..."

"No more excuses!" Honey shouted. "Neither you believe in your lies!"

The girl felt someone hold her hand lightly and smiled as she returned the gesture. She pulled Kira away, and they began to walk away from the man still on the ground. Superman followed them, as did the other members of the group.

* * *

Honey was in her bed, watching an old photo engraved on her dress. The image showed her when she was small, next to Luthor. She let out a heavy sigh, finally deciding to delete the photo. She was about to do so when the bedroom door opened. Superman tapped the wall for permission to enter. Honey nodded and sat down, while Superman sat beside her.

"How are you, daughter?" He gestured.

The girl shrugged.

"I realized today that everything you told me about my father was a lie, just to have a good memory of him."

"We don't know, maybe it's true."

"After all I've seen in the last few days, I doubt it." She paused. "The only good thing he actually did was pass my guard over to you. You really were a real father to me. Thanks."

"You have nothing to thank, Honey. I know my version of the future would do it all over again if I had to."

Honey stared at her uncle.

"I know you will."

TheY shared a long hug. Honey always felt a bit excluded because she did not have a family, but now she realized how wrong she was. She always had her family.

* * *

"Hi." John nodded when Rex passed him some time later. hE didn't know if they'd made up, but at least HE could greet you without risking his free hatred.

Rex returned the gesture, and was on his way, but something in his mind made him stop and call John back. the redhead stopped, waiting. Rex approached him.

"What happened earlier? Did you really mean to kill yourself?" He asked.

"If it was the only choice, yes." John stared at the ex-rival. "But I'm grateful I had a different choice. If today I could see my parents, Kiwi and Martha, it was because you saved my life."

Rex shrugged.

"I'm sure you would do the same for me."

John held out his hand, friendly.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. But don't think we're friends because of it."

He laughed.

"Never ... Never ..."

Still laughing, Rex turned his back on her and left. John still watched the boy disappear down the hall. He was about to walk again when Lily intercepted him.

"Oh, how cute." Lily said. "Are you guys friends now?"

"I don t know, Kiwi. But I owe him a lot."

"All of us, John. You have saved the world." She paused, then laughed. "Man, have you thought? You would be brothers."

John laughed and laughed a lot. He hugged his sister and they went their way. He was happy. Not only did they win, but he also made peace with his rival. It was a good ending to that crazy day.

 **Oh, I really want to apologize for my long absence. I wish I had written this before, I love this story, I love it so much, but I was facing my own personal battle. It's not something I like to talk about, but I went through a depressive phase (very long phase, by the way), and it is now that I am recovering.**

 **I'm slowly getting back to doing my things, I'm going back to studying, taking my courses and writing. I love writing, and it was so bad, that I could not do much. I had given up almost everything, but I know my strength, and I know there is always tomorrow, so I am still here.**

 **Thank you so much for waiting for me, and for having patience with me.**

 **Gratitude!**


	31. Time For a Party

_**Chapter Fourteen - Time For A Party**_

 **This is a simple ending, to end the whole struggle. I had written something else, but I lost part of what I had written when my old cell phone was defective and I could not remember everything to rewrite it on the computer. So this chapter is pretty simple, but I found it cute. Enjoy!**

It was not every day that they defeated a god older than time itself, so they had the right to celebrate. Lily gave the idea, and even Batman agreed, so the league would throw a party. The whole tower was decorated with posters, colored balls and lights. Lily and John chose the songs and Honey improvised a DJ table for the songs to play all night.

Everywhere, the heroes dressed for the special party. They still did not know how to get the kiss back, but it did not matter at the time, they just wanted to have fun.

Jason was almost ready in his room, dressed in a navy blue suit his father had bought him. The door opened and John appeared, in a white shirt and jeans, holding a plaid red cloth in his hands.

"Do you think Mom would freak out if I wore a kilt?"

John stared very serious at his friend as Jason laughed.

"Probably. Do you want to kill Aunt Shay before you're even born?"

"Well, if my parents stay the way they are, I run the risk of not even being born."

"Do you think wearing a skirt will solve your problems?"

"No." He returned. "But I'll be a sensation."

"I don't doubt that."

The two boys laughed. The weight on the back of saving the world is finally gone and they could act like the teenagers they really were.

* * *

"I'm just saying one thing." Lily appeared with her sandal in her hands. "Not high heels!"

Martha looked at her friend in her bright red dress and laughed.

"What are you going to use then?"

"Tennis. Comfortable, handsome, just like me."

"You know." She held a white pearly gown in front of her. "What do you think?"

"It will look perfect on you. Let's finish quickly. I want to dance!"

Martha laughed and continued to pack. She also wanted to dance, but with John, and admit that they were together after all this time. Half an hour later they knocked on her door and Martha went to answer. Jason was waiting for Lily, and John came along. Martha laughed at her boyfriend's look. Lily appeared shortly after, accompanying her friend in laughter. She knew the brother she had and it was not to be expected.

With a smile, John reached out to Martha, who accepted.

"You look very handsome, Miss Wayne."

"And you look elegant, Mr. West."

"Martha is lying, John. You look weird."

Lily held out her tongue to her brother, who just rolled his eyes, and she held out her hand to Jason. The four of them went together into the hall.

* * *

Many of the heroes were already gathering in the main hall, where the music was already playing loud. Honey was at the DJ table, making sure the sound kept playing and Kira kept her company. As always, Honey had her hair tied in a side braid. She did not like dresses, so she wore black pants and a black top. Kira wore a floral dress, and tried to talk to her friend over the loud music.

Lily pulled Jason in to talk to her friends. Already John and Martha fetched a drink. Terry and Rex were talking while they drank at the makeshift bar. They both looked at the couple coming toward them, and laughed at John's look.

"You look cute, man." Rex laughed at the former rival.

"You're jealous because I'm handsome."

"No, it is not."

The boys looked at each other, and for a moment Martha felt the old rivalry between them reborn, yet they laughed. The girl let out a sigh of relief. There were times when there was no moment of calm, and it was good that all the problems between them were solved. The new heroes of the Justice League were friends again.

* * *

The sound of the main hall reached Shayera's room, yet she did not have the slightest heart to have fun. She turned off the TV, threw himself back on the bed, and covered her eyes. The door opened, but she did not bother to look.

"I don't want to go, brat."

"It's not Lily."

Shayera was a bit reluctant, but turned to voice and saw Diana. The Amazonian princess wore a long silver dress, with a single strap, covered with shiny pearls. Her hair was tied in a bun, and she held a large package in her hands.

"I brought this to you."

Diana carried the box, leaving it on the foot of the bed. No more words and a smile on her face, he left immediately. Shayera waited a few seconds, and still not understanding, stretched to the box. She opened it curiously. There was a very elegant dress there. Shayera lifted it, analyzing the present. It was beautiful, and it was not hard to experiment.

She looked at herself in the mirror, wondering what had happened in Diana to buy her that dress. It was the kind that would look good on Diana herself, or even Vixen, not her. It was long, of tifanny blue tone, in a mermaid style. It was heavier than it looked, thanks to the work of pedrarias on the neckline and shoulders of the dress. The back was open, with enough space for its wings.

Although very different from what I would normally use, a single night would not hurt. And since she was already dressed, she now felt as if she should attend the party.

* * *

The heroes turned to her when she arrived. Shayera was not accustomed to the looks she was receiving, it was the first time in times that she felt ... admired. He looked for one of his sons and then saw John coming toward her, holding Martha's hand.

"You're so beautiful, Mom!"

"It's a shock, Aunt Shay!"

Shayera smoothed the body of the dress, somewhat awkwardly.

"It doesn't make my style, but I didn't want to refuse Diana's gift. So I had to come."

Martha frowned.

"My mother did not buy that dress."

"So who ..."

"It was Daddy." John said. "He was afraid that you would refuse, and he asked Aunt Diana to turn you in."

"Wally? Why?"

John shrugged.

"We have a photo of you dancing. We were not sure if it was today, but Kiwi recognized you dress and asked Dad to buy it."

"Were you expecting me to stay with Wally tonight?"

"I still hope." He admitted.

Shayera smiled, but for the moment decided to change the subject. He watched the boys hand in hand.

"I'm glad you're together."

The couple looked at each other and smiled.

"Thank you, we've waited too long for that."

"I'm sure you were not the only ones."

John and Martha looked at Lily, who was dragging Jason by the hand.

"You look very hot, Mom." The girl said as she approached the gr

"I agree, Aunt Shay."

"Thank you, kids. Have you seen Wally?"

Lily folded her arms.

"Daddy was dancing with a bunch of girls. I wanted to stop, but John stoped me."

"All right, brat. Let him have fun."

She took a good look in the hall, and her eyes soon fell on a certain speedster, who moved very fast, from side to side in the hall. Shayera watched as Wally turned on the dance floor, dancing to each song with a different woman. Diana put her hand on her shoulder. Shayera turned to the Amazon princess, very elegant in her gold dress. She looked like a goddess, certainly the most beautiful of the party.

Batman was right behind her. And although Diana did not need it, it was remarkable the feeling of protection that Batman had with her.

"You came." They shared a hug.

"I felt compelled." She rubbed back, smoothing the body of her dress once more.

Lily took Jason's hand and dragged him, claiming she wanted to dance. Martha said goodbye to her parents and went with John. Shayera watched the children disappear into the hall, and Flash talking to a woman in the corner. Then she turned her attention to the couple in front of her. He watched the Amazon beside Batman. She saw the huge ring on Diana's ring finger. Wedding ring. They were a handsome couple, she thought.

* * *

Flash danced with all the women present, without one in particular. He was on the dance floor with anyone who wanted to dance with him. Every song, a new partner. He tried to ignore the eyes of a certain redhead, and just kept dancing.

Lily and Jason were further ahead, and they'd stopped dancing long ago. They were just hugging, kissing. Everyone knew they were a couple, but for Wally, seeing his future daughter, his little princess, kissing was too much. He lost track of how long he had been standing there, not knowing how to act.

In the distance, Shayera felt a little pity for his friend's stunned expression. She went to him, taking his hand. He started to pull it up, so they moved a little, taking Lily and Jason out of his field of vision.

"Come on, let's dance. But don't think that means anything more. If you try ..."

"I wouldn't dare, Shay."

Wally squeezed Shayera's hand and turned with her. Now there was something else to concentrate on. Despite the lively music, he hugged her. He kept his hands firmly on her bare back, brushing against her skin and wings. Shayera was warm and it was nice to touch her soft skin against him.

He gave her a chance to leave, but Shayera made no move to let go. When a new melody began, it was the perfect excuse to hold each other. The redhead rested her face on his chest. Wally closed his eyes and smiled. Even if she did not love him, it was too good to have her. So close that he felt her heart beating against his own, and at that moment it was like having two hearts. It was surreal.

Lily saw her parents hugged on the dance floor. When she made a move to get to them, John stopped her.

"Don't even think about it, Kiwi. Let them have fun. Don't you dare intrude on their lives."

"But I love to meddle." Then she noticed her brother and best friend hand in hand. "You two ... I knew! Finally, John. You..."

John got a red tint on his face that matched his hair as he heard his sister venting how much she had expected.

"Why don't you go dance?" Martha suggested.

"Good idea." Jason dragged his girlfriend into the middle of the room, even against her will.

John sighed, though he knew Lily was going to fill him with questions in another moment.

"I think I got away."

"Don't think you're going to get away with this, John. I want to dance too."

Martha also dragged the now boyfriend onto the dance floor.

Shayera lifted her face from Wally's shoulder. She looked around. The heroes were happy. Her children danced, Batman was with Diana, John Stewart was with Vixen. They were all in their proper place. As they danced, she thought of John's words and perhaps it was time. She was not sure how to act, she just knew she had to. She stopped, making Wally face her. They did not speak in the last few days and it was strange to see him so quiet.

"Why don't you tried to take me yet?"

"You said to not try anything."

"And since when do you do what I say?"

"Since I fell in love. I'm sorry, I did not ... I should not ..."

Surprised, she pulled his face up. She took him in his hands and kissed him. They were in public and she did not care. No longer. Shayera gave a faint smile, still with closed eyes, when they broke the kiss. Wally was still holding her. She felt his breath against her skin, and it was good.

"Why don't we go someplace else?" She whispered.

In a heartbeat they were out. Before long they were in Wally's room. She looked around, but decided not to waste time examining the place. She pulled him close and then kissed again. Shayera pushed Wally until her knees met the edge of the bed. He fell into a sitting position, and she climbed into his lap. Carefully, she removed his mask. It took him some time to admire the features of his face. He was incredible, and she could no longer deny that she was in love with him.

Shayera pushed Wally aside and, putting her hands to the clasp of her dress, released him. Wally smiled at the sight of her. She was perfect and only his.

"I love you, Shay. Love you very much!"

She laughed.

"I know. She touched his face. "Me too."

Wally opened his mouth, but she would not let him speak. Took him in a new kiss in love. He wrapped his arms around her waist and laid her down on the bed. None of them wanted to wait any longer. The clothes were coming out quickly. While the other heroes were having fun at the party, they just wanted to be in each other's company.

* * *

 _ **Return of the Mack**_

 _ **Get it on, what it is, what it does, what it is, what it is not**_

 _ **Looking for a better way to get out of bed ...**_

The dj Honey set to play the song John asked, and the redhead crossed the lane, moving fast toward Lily, Martha and Jason.

"Hey, Kiwi!" He shouted over the music. "Do you want to steal a bottle of tequila?"

Lily smiled, understanding. They ran to the dance floor, making their way through the crowd, while Martha and Jason continued in the corner. Martha covered her face, knowing what her boyfriend and his sister wanted.

"I don't believe they're going to do that. What a shame!"

Jason laughed beside her.

"See how I suffer! But John is very happy ... because of you."

Martha nodded, gaining a little courage to look. The siblings looked at each other for a second, then began to laugh. Both Lily and John began to jump following the beat, and Lily sang at the top of her lungs, trying to keep up with the music.

They began together a strange choreography, a confusion of arms and legs. John and Lily followed an awkward dance, something only of them, while the heroes around stopped dancing just to watch them. It was a mess of arms and legs, screams and smiles. John was spinning around Lily, too happy with the way that night ended.

It was strange to see them dance so badly, and still see the beauty there was, because it came from somewhere in the world. And Martha caught herself admiring, remembering how long she'd been away from John, or his sisters. One year! A long year since the confusion of Rex and John, and she saw her best friend pull away.

But now everything was settled, and they had a long future ahead. A new beginning awaited them, and they were still young and free to be what they pleased, and they were the league of justice. Regardless of whether they return home or not, they would all be well ...

 _ **Na na na na na na na**_

 _ **Oh-oh-oh oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh**_

 _ **Can we go back? This is the moment**_

 _ **Tonight is the night, we'll fight 'til it's over**_

 _ **So we put our hands up like the ceiling can not hold us**_

 _ **Like the ceiling can not hold us**_

 _ **Can we go back?**_


	32. Going to Home

_**Chapter Thirty Two – Going To Home**_

 **Ah, the last chapter! I loved writing and I hope you have loved reading as much as I loved writing. I will miss you, but I have an idea to write about the league in the future, with my original characters, in their "real" time. I have lots of ideas to write, really.**

 **Without further currying, I want to thank everyone who has read, favored or commented on my fic. You have made this author much happier. Stay with the last chapter of Interlude!**

Honey threw her notes through the air, at the same time she let out a cry of frustration.

"Calm down, daughter." Superman touched the girl's shoulder. "Don't demand so much of yourself."

"Everyone's counting on me, Uncle Clark. Although they won't speak, I am the last hope of returning home and ..."

The blue-haired girl stopped, staring at her papers scattered on the floor. Kneeling before them, he watched them for a moment. A smile crossed her face. The answer was under her nose. How had she not noticed it before? Now, with her scattered notes, she finally realized the missing algorithm. Rising again, she began to shout, calling the other heroes.

"What happened?"

Superman shrugged at Jason's questioning as he and the other boys approached the lively girl. Honey ran and hugged her brother.

"I found a way to take us home!" Honey shouted. "I can do it in two days."

They looked at each other, absorbing the girl's words. At last they would return to their time, and to their real families.

* * *

To say that they were anxious was not enough. The kids, their parents and many league members watched as Honey put the finishing touches on her machine with the help of Kira, Green Lantern and J'onn. After an hour that seemed like eternity, the blue-haired girl gave a smile of victory, as she finally adjusted the control.

"I finished." Sh said. "All ready?"

No one was really ready for farewell, yet everyone knew they needed to get back into their lives. So the farewell had to be done. But they would soon be reunited in a few years.

Honey turned on her machine, and a kind of shiny portal opened. On the other side, they glimpsed a part of Metropolis, which was where it all began. The girl entered the last commands, and waved.

They hugged their parents, and said goodbye to the other members who were there. John took Martha's hand and they walked together to Honey's machine, as did Lily and Jason. Terry, Rex and Kira also took their place. Honey stirred a few more controls, and smiled at J'onn.

"It's up to you now, Uncle J'onn."

She ran to Kira's side, and the two girls hugged and laughed. They would finally come home. J'onn nodded, taking the place in control.

"Lantern."

With a nod, Green Lantern tossed a charge of his power ring. The energy would feed the machine until they returned to their time. Martha took one last look at Batman and Diana, their parents, hand in hand, discreet among the heroes. John gave a half smile, as well as watching the younger versions of his parents, hugging each other, as they waved at them.

The boys clapped their hands, hoping it would work. They felt a bit of nausea and a headache, but Honey had warned that those would be possible symptoms.

It is not known how long they have been traveling through space-time. They only felt the vibration, and soon they fell huddled in the ground of Metropolis. They fell into a large crater, as a one fight happened in place. Still dizzy and dizzy, they began to rise, helping each other.

"Was it right?" Jason asked no one in particular. He just wanted to find his parents again. It was months away and ...

They heard someone clear the guarantee and turned toward the sound. Batman was there, his arms folded and his expression unhappy. In fact, the parents of all of them were there. The scene was quite familiar, however.

"The tower detected a temporal anomaly in Metropolis." Batman started. "I figured you were involved, after all, you were on a mission."

Martha let go of John's hand and ran to her father. She would recognize him anywhere, and that was her real father. She was so happy to see him, that any scolding that followed would welcome her. John and Lily also ran to their parents, and the four of them hugged each other. The others followed suit, embracing their families.

"What happened?" Flash asked amused. "It seems you don't see us in months!"

" In a way, it was." Honey replied. "It's a long story, but we travel in time and we find you all, only younger."

"John and Rex defeated an ancient god." Martha replied, going to hug Diana. "It sounds crazy, but we lived in another time for almost two months."

"Two months?" It was Diana. "You didn't even go out for thirty minutes!"

The kids looked at each other, not believing how little time had passed in their reality.

"I imagine you have a lot to tell. However, it will remain until tomorrow. "Superman said. "You have lived such an adventure and need a rest."

Everyone agreed. They just wanted to go home, to the real house. Lily said good-bye to Jason with a kiss. John hugged Martha, happy to be a couple now, and for all to know. Rex laughed with his friend and punched John in the arm before continuing with his parents.

Kira followed with J'onn, just as Jason and Honey followed Superman. The four of them came out holding each other like the family they were. Martha and Terry went away with Batman and Diana and Terry had his own house to go next. Flash hugged Shayera and the two began to walk, followed by Lily and John. The girl looked at her brother's parents.

"Do you think our parents are fine?"

John watched as the parents walked together. He thought of everything they lived, everything they learned, then smiled.

"They're fine. And so have we, Kiwi. Now let's go home."

She clutched Lily's hair and ran to reach Shayera and Flash. Lily ran, too, and the four of them hugged each other. They would all have to give explanations, and make a long report about the adventure, but that would be for another day. Now they were going home.

 **END!...**

 **Ah, people, thank you very much !**

 **See you later, kisses!**

 **Gratitude! Gratitude! Gratitude!**


End file.
